Real fasting times and incidence of pulmonary aspiration in children: Results of a German prospective multicenter observational study.

Background: Prolonged fasting before anesthesia is still common in children. Shortened fasting times may improve the metabolic and hemodynamic condition during induction of anesthesia and the perioperative experience for parents and children and simplify perioperative management. As a consequence, some centers in Germany have reduced fasting requirements, but the national guidelines are still unchanged.