Body Position and Ultrasound Examination of the Gastric Antrum

Plain-language summary

Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents is a complication causing significant morbidity and mortality related to anesthesia. Ultrasound examination of the gastric antrum allows the detection of preoperative gastric contents contributing to the preoperative assessment of pulmonary aspiration risk. In particular, this examination is based on the qualitative analysis of gastric contents performed in the supine and in the right lateral decubitus, using a qualitative score which makes it possible to discriminate a low liquid content of a large liquid volume. This score has been described in patients and volunteers installed on a bed without elevation of the upper section of the bed. However, in several studies, this qualitative score has been achieved in the 45° semirecumbent position, which may have affected the diagnostic performance of the examination thus performed, as suggested by the results of a study recently conducted by the investigating team. This study therefore aims to compare the diagnostic performance of the qualitative analysis of the gastric antrum performed in the supine and the right lateral decubitus for the diagnosis of gastric volumes higher than 50 ml and 100 ml, according to the bed angle: 45 ° elevation or no elevation of the upper section of the bed.

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