Fasting is not required for laryngoscopy.
The main purpose of fasting is to ensure that the results of the examination are not affected by the patient’s food intake. Generally, in the case of blood tests, gastroenteroscopy and ultrasonography, the patient is required to fast, mainly in order to improve the accuracy of the results of the examination. Laryngoscopy does not require fasting. Laryngoscopy is performed on the larynx, trachea, and vocal cords. It does not involve blood, gastrointestinal tract, so it is not affected by eating.
At the same time, local anesthesia will be administered before the laryngoscopy, using dicaine, to reduce the patient’s discomfort, and generally does not cause the patient to vomit as a side effect due to laryngoscopic stimulation. Laryngoscopy will choose a laryngoscope that is suitable for the thickness of the patient according to the patient’s condition to reduce the stimulation to the patient. However, some patients have a strong gag reflex, and it is still clinically recommended that they do not eat or drink for several hours before the examination.
To summarize, fasting is not required for laryngoscopy, but it is best to avoid eating or drinking for a few hours before the examination, consult the examination department for details.