Pre-gastroscopy maltodextrin beverage found safe with improved patient well-being

The traditional practice of prolonged fasting before oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGDS) may not be necessary and could even be harmful to patients’ well-being, according to a study that suggests administering a maltodextrin beverage just 2 hours before the procedure, as part of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol, is as safe as clear water.

The research indicates that this approach not only does not compromise the effectiveness of endoscopic assessment but also improves overall patient well-being by reducing hunger, thirst, anxiety, tiredness, and general discomfort.

In this single-blinded, stratified randomized controlled trial, 80 randomly assigned patients, with 78 successfully completing the study, were divided into 2 groups: Group A, receiving 400 ml of plain water, and Group B, receiving 400 ml of Carborie, a maltodextrin beverage. The primary objectives were to measure gastric residual volume and assess patient well-being using visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for hunger, thirst, anxiety, tiredness, and general discomfort.

The study found that the median gastric residual volume was not significantly different between Group A and Group B (5.0 ml vs 4.0 ml). Both groups exhibited a significant reduction in VAS scores across all 5 parameters (P ≤ 0.001), suggesting that pre-OGDS maltodextrin beverage is as safe as clear water.

There were no reported complications attributed to endoscopy in either group.

Reference
Zulkifli MF, Md Hashim MN, Zahari Z, et al. The effect of pre-endoscopy maltodextrin beverage on gastric residual volume and patient’s well-being: a randomised controlled trial. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):20078. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-47357-5. PMID: 37973795; PMCID: PMC10654920.