NPO: What is it Good For?

Abstract

The historic order, Nothing Per Os (NPO) begs to be personalized and patient centered and not be submerged by the resistance of system based practice. Numerous patients are made NPO every day in inpatient and outpatient settings, prior to procedures and operations. Many patients seem to fast longer than the recommended guidelines before a procedure. Many patients have negative feelings towards fasting and do not understand why they are forbidden to eat while in the hospital. The objective of this article is to examine the origin of this medical order, NPO; determine the average amount of time that patients fast before a procedure; learn what effect this has on the psyche of the patients and find ways to improve the delivery of care to augment patient safety and enrich patient experience.. Excessive preoperative fasting is a common global issue in all perioperative patients. Patients often fast two times more than the recommended guidelines given by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). The prolonged fasting has negative physiological effects that impede patient recovery. Preoperative fasting does not align with recommended guidelines; however, there are standardized protocols available that reduce fasting time, attenuate surgical stress response and facilitate earlier recovery and discharge timing. There is a vital indispensable need for individualized patient centered medical order of NPO, during procedural practice.