Effects of a short message service (SMS) by cellular phone to improve compliance with fasting guidelines in patients undergoing elective surgery: a retrospective observational study

Abstract

Background: Contemporary perioperative fasting guidelines aim to alleviate patient discomfort before surgery and enhance postoperative recovery whilst seeking to reduce the risk of pulmonary aspiration during anesthesia. The impact of a short message service (SMS) reminder on fasting guideline compliance is unknown. Therefore, we performed a retrospective observational study and quality improvement project aiming to quantify the extent of excessive and prolonged fasting, and then assessed the impact of a SMS reminder in reducing fasting times. Methods: After ethics committee approval we performed a retrospective observational study investigating preoperative fasting times of adult patients u..