Routine Replacement of Fasting Deficits in Pediatric Ambulatory Anesthesia: A Propensity-Matched Retrospective Cohort Study

The authors aimed to determine whether reducing routine fasting-deficit replacement during pediatric ambulatory anesthesia adversely affects intraoperative hemodynamic stability or early postoperative recovery. Their study, involving 8,508 matched pediatric procedures, found that a significant reduction in fasting-deficit replacement did not lead to increased vasopressor use or notable differences in postoperative outcomes. These results suggest that routine empiric fasting-deficit replacement may not be necessary for otherwise healthy children undergoing short ambulatory procedures.