To badly parody Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen’s first line. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a person who has been made NPO, will subsequently develop a mighty thirst.”
Yeah, yeah.
I know.
However, in my experience, the instant you tell someone that they cannot have any liquids the more they will argue and bargain with you.
Just a sip, they beg.
My mouth is so dry.
My tongue is sticking to the roof of my mouth.
Can’t I just wet my whistle?
No, can I have a wet washcloth to suck? And then swallow that fluid.
Can I chew gum?
No, no, a thousand times no.
It is not that we want to torture you, or your family, it is more about the mechanics of having fluid in your/their stomach that may be regurgitated and sucked into your/their lungs. This makes everyone have a bad day; anesthesia, patient, circulator.
When prepping a patient it is the most frequently asked question.
Sorry, the answer is no water, no gum, no washcloth. Your life is worth more than the temporary discomfort of being told no.
And we will find out if you cheat.
And you could die by cheating. Because of pneumonia after the fluid is sucked into your lungs. So there’s that.
Just listen to us. And don’t drink water from the sink. We will find out.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 