Table 3.

Practice guidelines for preoperative fasting in North America and Europe.

	Guidelines	Exclusion conditions
UK	• Clear fluid permissible up to 3 hr before surgery • Solid food discontinued from 6-8 hr before surgery	Emergency and digestive tract disease
Canada	• Clear fluid permissible up to 2 hr before surgery • Solid food discontinued from 6-8 hr before surgery
USA	• Clear fluid permissible up to 2 hr before surgery • Solid food discontinued from 6 hr before surgery	Emergency, pregnancy, and digestive tract disease
Norway	• Clear fluid permissible up to 2 hr before surgery • Solid food discontinued from 6 hr before surgery	Emergency and gastrointestinal disease
Sweden	• Clear fluid permissible up to 2-3 hr before surgery • Solid food discontinued after midnight on the day before surgery	Emergency and gastrointestinal disease
Germany	• Clear fluid permissible up to 2 hr before surgery • Solid food discontinued from 6 hr before surgery