Gastric Ultrasound Before Elective Cesarean Section

Due to the physiologically delayed gastric emptying in pregnant women, the potential risk of aspiration before cesarean delivery constitutes an important source of perioperative complications, and when it occurs, it is associated with increased maternal morbidity and/or mortality. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have demonstrated that, compared with non-pregnant women, gastric emptying is delayed particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy, and that gastric emptying does not occur in cases who have consumed solid food within the last 8 hours and in whom labor has begun.

This study aims to evaluate preoperative gastric volumes by ultrasonography in ASA II pregnant women (according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, healthy parturients without complications) scheduled to undergo elective cesarean delivery under general or spinal anesthesia, based on different fasting durations for solid and liquid intake, with the type of liquid.

Although previous research in pregnant populations has predominantly focused on the importance of gastric ultrasonography in the presence of gestational diabetes mellitus, this thesis study aims to generate data from the general population. The findings are expected to enable individualized preventive measures to reduce aspiration-related complications during cesarean deliveries performed under general or spinal anesthesia, thereby contributing to patient safety.