Clinical trials

More than one million cardiac catheterizations (CCs) are performed annually in the United States and the majority are elective. Current guidelines recommend no fasting prior to elective CC, however recent studies suggest that eating and drinking as desired prior to elective CCs involving moderate sedation is safe. This project will study the potential benefits of allowing patients to eat before elective CCs. Participants will be randomly divided into two groups. One group will receive pre-op instructions to fast, and the other group will be allowed to eat and drink as desired prior to their CC. Researchers will compare these groups with regards to patient satisfaction and respiratory complications.