I know patients fast prior to surgery to prevent aspiration, pneumonia, and possible death but why 8+ hours before surgery but normal people can eat a couple hours before bed and not aspirate?
In: Biology
> …normal people can eat a couple hours before bed and not aspirate?
Normal people can eat *immediately* before bed and not aspirate their food.
The answer of course is that being anesthetized for surgery is not the same as sleeping. Despite both involving unconsciousness, a general anesthetic involves a level of sedation far beyond sleep which is why an anesthesiologist is required to administer anesthetics and monitor the patient during the procedure. One of the main goals of the anesthesiologist is to make sure the patient doesn’t die from the anesthetic such as if their breathing is reduced to the point of stopping, or their heart ceases to beat.
Those are not dangers typically present for people who are engaged in normal sleep. Notably people who are sleeping will generally wake up if they need to vomit, but sedated people will be unable to do so and aspirate their own vomit. Having less material in your stomach will reduce this risk. It is also a huge danger for people who get blackout drunk, except they don’t have professionals watching them at all times…
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