What are the levels of ketone bodies in adult patients who are fasting for either elective or emergency surgeries in an Australian tertiary hospital?

A prospective observational study to quantify the extent of ketonaemia in fasting adult patients undergoing elective and emergency surgeries at an Australian tertiary hospital (KETO Study)

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12619001622190

Acronym

KETO study

Enrollment

1000

Registered

2019-11-22

Start date

2020-03-16

Completion date

2024-04-26

Last updated

2025-09-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

Purpose / Hypothesis: This study seeks to determine the level of blood ketone in patients who fast for surgery. We also examine various risk factors which potentially lead to high ketone levels, and try to establish relationship between these factors and the presence of high ketone level. Methods: Participants will have two very small blood samples taken, one immediately before and one immediately after surgery. The relationship between the risk factors and the ketone levels is analysed to determine how strongly each factor affects the ketone level. By improving our understanding of ketone levels in patients fasting for surgery, this study will improve the clinical care we deliver by improving how we detect and treat patients who develop high ketone levels.

Interventions

All patients who are fasting for surgery will have preoperative blood ketone level measured. The blood sample is taken immediately prior to commencement of surgery. All patients will also have blood ketone level measured immediately at the end of surgery. Other information collected are risk factors (e.g. fasting duration, comorbidities, diet, pregnancy status), blood glucose, HbA1c and venous blood gas for patients found to have above-normal ketone level.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Adult patients > 18 years of age American Society of Anaesthesiologist (ASA) physical scale 1-4 Elective or emergency surgeries under general anaesthesia OR local/regional anaesthesia when the patient is fasted preoperatively.

Exclusion criteria

Unable to provide informed consent People whose primary language is other than English Emergency surgeries of very high urgency such that the time needed to obtain consent for study could, in study team’s opinion, affect clinical outcome

Outcome results