Epidural anaesthesia does not delay early postoperative gastric emptying in man.

The effect of epidural anaesthesia on early postoperative gastric emptying was measured in seven patients, after minor surgery on the extremities. Gastric emptying, estimated indirectly by the rise in serum paracetamol following oral administration of the drug, was not delayed following epidural anaesthesia. It was furthermore demonstrated that gastric emptying was normal or nearly normal when diazepam 15 mg was given orally to the same patients 2 weeks later.