HYBRID EVENT: You can participate in person at London, UK or Virtually from your home or work.

6th Edition of Global Conference on Surgery and Anaesthesia

September 15-17, 2025 | Hybrid Event

September 15 -17, 2025 | London, UK
GCSA 2025

Thirst for change: Improving pre-operative hydration for emergency surgery in a district general hospital

Zacharias Buttigieg, Speaker at Anaesthesia Conferences
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, United Kingdom
Title : Thirst for change: Improving pre-operative hydration for emergency surgery in a district general hospital

Abstract:

Historically, patients undergoing emergency surgery are routinely instructed to fast from food for six hours and clear fluids for two hours before arriving to theatre [1]. However, in practice, patients often remain fasted for much longer periods of time, causing unnecessary unpleasant symptoms and patient dissatisfaction [2]. The ‘Sip ‘til Send’ initiative, pioneered by NHS Tayside, permits patients to sip small volumes of clear fluid until they are sent to theatre. This quality improvement project aimed to implement the ‘Sip ‘til Send’ policy at Lincoln County Hospital, a district general hospital in Lincolnshire.

Methods: Following stakeholder engagement and process mapping, we aimed to improve awareness and implementation of the ‘Sip ‘til Send’ policy, thereby enhancing pre-operative hydration and patient experience. Root-cause analysis highlighted key barriers to knowledge and implementation of the policy. Baseline data was collected over four weeks using patient surveys. Interventions included staff education (via email, posters and face-to-face sessions) targeting medical, nursing and catering teams. Post-intervention data was collected using the same survey methodology. 

Results: Patient awareness of the ‘Sip ‘til Send’ policy increased from 18% to 90%. Average fasting time for clear fluids reduced from approximately eight hours to one hours and 20 minutes. Hydration variability between patients decreased significantly. Encouragingly, references to ‘Sip ‘til Send’ began appearing in surgical clerking notes, reflecting signs of a positive cultural change.

Biography:

Buttigieg graduated from the University of Plymouth Peninsula Medical School in 2021 and completed foundation training in the East Midlands. He subsequently worked as a Clinical Fellow in the Intensive Care Unit at Nottingham University Hospitals, a major trauma centre, before starting Core Anaesthetics training at the East Midlands School of Anaesthesia in August 2024. He is currently a Core Level 1 Anaesthetic trainee at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

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