Gastric POCUS for Airway Management in Patients Using Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist (Multicentric)

1\. Introduction

Scheduled surgery requires patients to undergo a preoperative fasting period of at least 6 hours to reduce the risk of perioperative pulmonary aspiration. However, certain medications and conditions may delay gastric emptying, potentially increasing aspiration risk. These include diabetic gastroparesis and the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for the treatment of diabetes and obesity.

GLP-1 receptor agonists are widely used due to their beneficial effects on glycemic control and weight reduction. However, one of their known effects is delayed gastric emptying, which may result in increased residual gastric content despite adherence to standard fasting guidelines. Recent reports have described cases of pulmonary aspiration during anesthesia in patients receiving GLP-1 receptor agonists, even after appropriate fasting.

Given the increasing use of these medications, there is a need for objective assessment tools to evaluate gastric content in the perioperative setting. Gastric ultrasonography has emerged as a non-invasive bedside technique that may help identify patients at increased risk of aspiration and guide airway management strategies.