Asian J Surg
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Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents is one of the most terrible complications following general anesthesia. It is important for patients to prevent this complication by obeying the preoperative fasting protocol strictly. At present, it has been reported by many studies that bedside ultrasound, as a non-invasive and convenient method, could be used to evaluate gastric contents qualitatively and quantitatively. ⋯ For the gastrointestinal disorder, the pregnant women, obesity, children, the elderly and diabetes patients, the accuracy and reliability of ultrasound to predict the risk of aspiration remains to be identified by more further studies. For these patients with increasing risk of aspiration, I-AIM (Indication, Acquisition, Interpretation, Medical decision-making) framework plays an important role in ensuring the safety of patients. It is crucial to make appropriate clinical decisions by evaluating the gastric contents with ultrasound.