Reevaluating Fasting Before Cardiac Catheterization: Safety and Outcomes of Oral Intake Under Minimal to Moderate Sedation

Highlight

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of 8 randomized controlled trials (N=3,382) evaluating fasting versus nonfasting prior to cardiac catheterization under minimal to moderate sedation.
• No significant difference in primary safety outcomes including nausea/vomiting, aspiration, hypoglycemia, hypotension, and acute kidney injury between fasting and nonfasting groups.
• No cases of intubation reported in either group, indicating a very low risk of airway compromise with nonfasting.
• Subgroup analyses suggest potential increased nausea/vomiting with fasting and decreased acute kidney injury, but overall clinical impact remains uncertain.

Study Background