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OCTOBER 19, 2024

Prolonged Fasting for Multiple Orthopedic Surgeries Raises Risk for Malnutrition, Worse Outcomes

PHILADELPHIA—People who have multiple orthopedic surgeries during the same hospital stay are more likely to suffer malnutrition from repeated or prolonged fasting, which can slow recovery and increase the risk for death, according to a study of more than 28 million patients presented at the 2024 annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Because food or liquid retained in the stomach increases the risk for regurgitation and aspiration in the airway and lungs during