TDNet Discover

Pulmonary aspiration continues to pose a significant perioperative threat to patient safety, particularly in emergent or high-risk surgical populations where fasting status is uncertain or unreliable. Anesthesia providers have traditionally relied on subjective methods for assessing aspiration risk, such as patient-reported fasting times, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical classification, or comorbid conditions. However, these methods may not provide adequate insight into a patient’s current gastric content, potentially resulting in unnecessary delays or inappropriate anesthetic plans. Gastric ultrasound is a pointof-care, noninvasive imaging technique that allows anesthesia providers to assess gastric content and volume directly. It has shown promise in the literature as a practical tool to enhance perioperative safety and clinical decision-making. However, integration into routine practice remains limited due to variability in training, lack of institutional protocols, and workflow barriers. This quality improvement project was designed to evaluate the potential impact of implementing a standardized aspiration risk assessment checklist, incorporating gastric ultrasound, on provider confidence in a tertiary care hospital. The checklist was intended to be embedded in the electronic health record and used during routine preoperative evaluations. By incorporating a structured and objective measure, the project aimed to support anesthesia providers in identifying high-risk patients and making informed decisions regarding airway management and induction technique. Although no formal educational intervention was planned, the checklist was designed to include embedded links to key resources to enhance point-of-care ultrasound knowledge. These resources would have offered quick access to guidelines and imaging references to support provider understanding and appropriate use of gastric ultrasound in the perioperative setting. This addition was intended to promote self-directed learning and increase provider comfort with integrating ultrasound findings into risk assessments without disrupting workflow.