Case Report: The use of gastric ultrasound to assess risk of pulmonary aspiration

Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents is a dreaded complication of general anesthesia, as it carries significant patient morbidity and mortality. Subsequent aspiration pneumonia can lead to prolonged mechanical ventilation, and a mortality rate of up to 5%. To minimize the risk of pulmonary aspiration, patients are required – as per the American Society of Anesthesiology’s “Practice Guidelines for Preoperative Fasting” – to fast prior to elective surgery in order to ensure that the stomach is empty prior to induction of general anesthesia.