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Pre‐operative starvation in children
Author(s) -
ALLISON C. W.,
CATER J. I.,
GRAY I. G.,
STAZIKER ANN C.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1982.tb01098.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gluconeogenesis , underweight , liter , starvation , plasma glucose , endocrinology , anesthesia , alanine aminotransferase , alanine , physiology , body mass index , biochemistry , amino acid , metabolism , insulin , overweight , biology
Summary Ninety‐two children aged between 8 months and 8 years were fasted overnight prior to surgery. Plasma glucose and alanine concentrations were measured after the induction of anaesthesia. Of 30 children under four years, 23% had plasma glucose concentrations less than 3.3 mmolllitre. Underweight children were particularly at risk. The mean plasma alanine was low (0.17 mmolllitre) indicative of a shortfall in this essential substrate for gluconeogenesis. This probably reflects the greater obligatory glucose need of young children relative to their body protein mass.