Can bedside gastric ultrasonography assess the risk of perioperative gastric content aspiration in fasted term pregnant women before elective cesarean delivery?
Bedside gastric ultrasonography can assess the risk of perioperative gastric content aspiration, with an antral CSA of 10.3 cm representing the upper limit of normal in fasted term pregnant women.
All women but one presented with antral CSA compatible with residual gastric fluid. The qualitative 3-point grading system may be used to assess individual risk of perioperative gastric content aspiration. Our results suggest that an antral CSA of 10.3 cm in the right lateral decubitus position more accurately describes the upper limit of normal findings in the fasted pregnant patient at term.
Arzola et al. (Sat,) studied this question.