QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF PREOPERATIVE CARBOHYDRATE LOAD ON CLINICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL VARIABLES: INTEGRATIVE REVIEW: INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Preoperative fasting has traditionally been a standard practice in surgical care to prevent bronchial aspiration. However, recent studies have proposed evaluating the strategy of preoperative carbohydrate loading as a means to enhance postoperative recovery while ensuring patient safety. Objective: To analyze, through a descriptive study, the impact of preoperative carbohydrate loading on clinical and laboratory variables in the postoperative period and to assess whether it is associated with surgical complications. Methods: An integrative review was conducted using the SCOPUS database with the search terms “Carbohydrate loading” AND “preoperative,” applying filters for title terms and publications from 2017 onwards. The PICO strategy was used to guide article selection. Results: Thirteen articles were included: twelve randomized clinical trials and one comparative study with a historical cohort, primarily involving gastrointestinal and gynecological surgeries. Among the main outcomes, a reduction in hospital length of stay was observed in 50% of the studies. Additionally, 80% reported decreased symptoms of thirst and anxiety, 67% indicated improved glycemic control, and all studies that evaluated C-reactive protein reported reduced postoperative levels. Other variables such as pain, nausea, vomiting, time to reintroduction of food, insulin, HOMA-IR, and albumin showed more discordant findings, with fewer studies supporting beneficial effects. No study reported an increased incidence of complications, including mortality; on the contrary, some studies demonstrated lower infection rates, reduced ICU stays, or decreased hospital readmission rates. Conclusion: Preoperative carbohydrate loading offers beneficial effects in the immediate and short-term postoperative period without increasing the risk of complications.