IN HOSPITAL GENERAL ANESTHESIA
Instructions to Follow Prior to General Anesthesia in the Hospital
Eating and drinking:
The following eating and drinking instructions are extremely important to follow exactly as written to insure the safety of your child under anesthesia. These are standard guidelines given to any patient having anesthesia and are meant to prevent the possibility of vomiting and aspirating vomit while sedated or groggy.
On the day of your appointment:
Absolutely nothing by mouth within 8 hours of the procedure.
(This means no food, no chewing-gum, no breath mints, no Lifesavers or cough drops, as well as nothing to drink (including water.)
Please be advised that these strict guidelines are meant to protect your child before, during and after administration of general anesthesia. If you have any questions regarding these instructions, please contact our office at (916) 476-3972 or contact the facility at which your child will be treated:
Sutter River City Surgery Center: (916) 929-9431
Kaiser South Sacramento: (916) 688-2014
Woodland Healthcare: (530) 662-9112
Change in health status:
If your child has a change in health status before the appointment (i.e., a cold, runny nose, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, or a fever) please call our office as soon as possible so that we can determine if it is safe to proceed with the anesthetic or if we need to reschedule.
Medications:
If your child takes any prescribed medication, please continue it on the day of the appointment. If it is an oral medication, let your child take it with a small sip of water. If it is an inhaler, have your child use it at their regular time. If your child is an insulin dependent diabetic, a pre procedure consultation with our anesthesiologist and/or your pediatrician will be arranged.
Clothing:
We recommend loose fitting, and easy to put on clothes for your child on the day of the dental procedure. The shirt layer closest to the skin should be short sleeved. If your child has a favorite blanket, please bring it. Many children under the age of 6 years urinate in their pants as they are waking up from anesthesia. So, please bring a change of clothing.
Questions:
If you have urgent concerns or questions, please contact us at (916) 476-3972.