We appreciate and agree with the comments made by Drs. Søreide and Ljungqvist. One of the goals of the Evidence Based Reviews in Surgery (EBRS) is to provide best evidence and hopefully change practice. Thus, while it is our impression that a fast of NPO after midnight remains the standard practice in most institutions, we are certainly NOT advocating this practice. We did not argue against the modern guidelines. Rather, we agree with Drs. Søreide and Ljungqvist that the evidence suggests a shorter fast is safe and that practice guidelines that reflect this evidence-based recommendation should be followed.
Footnotes
Competing interests: None declared.