Despite being a routine practice, preoperative fasting was shown not to decrease the amount and acidity of gastric content. In fact, excessive hunger is associated with adverse outcomes and delayed recovery. Research demonstrating such efficacy of preoperative oral carbohydrates still remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of preoperative oral carbohydrate solution (OCS) intake on preoperative and postoperative anxiety levels of surgical patients. Sixty patients who would undergo surgical intervention with ASA I score were included to the study. Patients were randomized to receive either 400 ml OCS (Group I, n=30) or 400 ml water (Group II, n=30) each at the last night and two hours before surgery. Three groups of anxiety tests, including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS), and Visual Analog Scale for Anxiety (VAS-A), were performed at the night and two hours before and six hours after the operation. At t1, the mean VAS-A was significantly lower in Group I (43.2±20.9) compared to that in Group II (59.7±24.1; p=0.01). STAI at t1 was also significantly lower in Group I than that in Group II (44.7±12.6 and 51.9±13.0, respectively; p=0.032). The scores in the other time-points (t0 and t2) were found as similar. APAIS scores did not differ between the groups. Preoperative OSC intake seems to have a tendency of reducing anxiety in operated cancer patients.
Key words: Oral carbohydrate solution, preoperative fasting, anxiety
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