New guidelines ensure patients are hydrated and happier with surgical and anaesthetic experience

Swansea Bay patients are now reaping the benefits of a change in fluid consumption guidelines before surgery – helping them to be better hydrated and happier following their procedure.

Previous instructions advised that patients could not eat food six hours before their anaesthetic, and to stop drinking clear liquids two hours before.

While the advice on food has not changed, the guidelines for drinks have now been updated. 

Following an initiative set up in Scotland called Sip Til Send, Swansea Bay is now changing its stance on hydration by allowing patients sips of water right up until they are called to go to theatre.

The Sip Til Send approach allows patients to sip up to 150ml of water per hour prior to surgery.

PICTURED: Consultant Anaesthetist Dr Alex Morgan and Clinical Fellow Dr Amanda Ebejer.

Patients within Morriston’s trauma unit and Theatre Admissions Unit, along with paediatric patients and inpatient services at Neath Port Talbot Hospital have been adhering to the Sip Til Send initiative for several months. It has proven to not only better hydrate patients, but and reduce headaches, nausea and anxiety.

There are occasional exceptions for specific patients, but they are still encouraged to moisten their lips and mouth with water for comfort.

Consultant Anaesthetist Dr Alex Morgan has been leading the change in approach throughout Swansea Bay along with Clinical Fellow Dr Amanda Ebejer.

Dr Morgan said: “Historically, the advice was that you can’t have solid food six hours before anaesthetic, and you can’t have any clear liquids within two hours of anaesthetic.

“But, over time, a globally over-cautious nature has led to patients often being instructed to be nil by mouth from midnight even if they aren’t going into theatre until much later in the day. The rule has never been nil by mouth from midnight because patients could be going to theatre as late as 6pm that day but would have gone without food or liquid until then, which is not pleasant for the patient.

"We established that for our patients who have a broken hip, the starvation times were an average of 15 hours.

“We started running Sip Til Send in 2022 and the ward teams have embraced it.

“It wasn’t long before we rolled it out to all trauma patients, and now Sip Til Send is for everyone unless there are special circumstances. Staff and services have really taken it on and patients are benefiting from it."

“The tagline for Sip Til Send is simple, safe, kind. It’s inexpensive, good for patients with negligible risk.

“This is a simple change which can have a big effect on the patient as they experience less post-operative nausea and vomiting, less headaches, and are happier with their surgical and anaesthetic experience.”