Date of Award
8-14-2026
Document Type
Capstone
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School Name
Donna and Allan Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences
Department
Nursing
Major Advisor
Carly Mitchell
Second Advisor
Chris Webb
Abstract
Pulmonary aspiration remains a critical perioperative safety concern, particularly in patients taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), which are increasingly being prescribed for diabetes and weight management. These medications delay gastric emptying and may result in residual gastric content despite adherence to standard fasting guidelines, creating uncertainty in anesthetic risk assessment. Conflicting recommendations regarding preoperative GLP-1 RA management, combined with limited guidance on individualized risk stratification complicate clinical decision-making. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice scholarly project is to synthesize current evidence examining GLP-1RA-associated delayed gastric emptying and to evaluate the role of gastric point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) as a perioperative risk assessment tool. A comprehensive review of the literature demonstrates that while GLP-1 RA use is consistently associated with increased residual gastric content, documented aspiration events remain rare. Gastric POCUS is shown to be a reliable, accurate, and noninvasive tool that enables anesthesia providers to identify high-risk patients, guide anesthetic planning, as well as reduce unnecessary surgical delays. Findings support individualized risk stratification, consistent with current multi-society guidance, rather than routine medication discontinuation for all patients. This synthesis of literature allows for the development of an educational in-service presentation for anesthesia and advanced practice providers highlighting the benefits of integrating gastric POCUS into the perioperative assessment, thus enhancing patient safety in patients receiving GLP-1 RAs.
Recommended Citation
Brown, Noah; Faugno, Connor; Sciotto, Michael; and Pike, Leslie, "Enhancing Anesthesia Safety in Patients Taking GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: A Scholarly Evidence Synthesis" (2026). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones. 228.
https://scholarworks.bellarmine.edu/tdc/228