Why Dex Was Developed
We believe healthcare delivery can always improve.
Patient comfort and optimisation before surgery can certainly be improved.
Hospital fasting guidelines have advanced over the years, but unfortunately this has not translated to a change in practice or a better patient experience. Patients often arrive to the operating theatre in a poor physiological state.
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Current fasting regimes put the body in a catabolic state (the body is basically breaking itself down to provide it’s own energy) - this is not an ideal pathway for patients. We should not be depleting the body of energy and excessively dehydrating patients before the stress of surgery.
Coordinating a patient for surgery is a logistically complex task, and hospitals generally perform this logistical challenge well.
But…..
Hospitals need better, patient-friendly fasting instructions.
Hospital staff (mostly non-medical clerks) are tasked with providing patients fasting instructions, usually the day before surgery.
Communication of fasting instructions also needs improvement.
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Patients are called, or seen in preadmission clinic before surgery. In the consult there is no focus on preoperative nutrition. Instead prospective nervous patients are presented with a confusing picture of multiple fasting options (black coffee, no milk in tea, apple juice, no pulp, food 6 hours before, clear fluids 2 hours before etc) whereby the patient comprehends that basically they might die if they eat or drink anything, and that their surgery will be cancelled if their allocated anaesthesiologist finds out they didn’t comply.
Complete oral abstinence is presented as being equivalent, if not more superior, to having a liquid meal. As a result of this, patients starve themselves in an attempt to be “more safe”. This is bad practice and does harm the patient. The responsibility for a surgical patient should not start when surgery commences. It should begin much earlier.
Unintentionally, hospitals are perpetuating a starvation culture before surgery by misguiding efforts and resources. Fasting instructions can be simple and the solution can be simple. Long conversations with patients about fasting and detailed pamphlets are not necessary.
As health professionals, we should never forget that how the patient feels is important.
We want to help hospitals broaden their vision and facilitate the provision of healthcare before the operation begins. We want patients to be optimised before the operation. We understand that hospitals have competing priorities, but what we are offering is a simple solution.
Patients want to feel nourished, strong and hydrated before surgery.
This is easily achieved - fasting communication between hospital and patient must change.
A small public hospital in New South Wales Australia "Armidale Rural Referral Hospital" has transformed their fasting culture. Dr David Rowe has been the driving force behind this major effort and should be commended. Dr David Rowe has received no financial compensation for his efforts.
Dr Rowe has provided Dex with inspiration to instigate change.
We at Dex believe we can simplify fasting instructions and improve patient outcomes across the globe. We have produced a surgery-specific complex carbohydrate drink. Our drink is better than any other product on the market.
Equally important to our drink, is our simple fasting instruction card, that anyone can understand.
Dex succeeds in keeping patients comfortable before surgery and in shifting a patient’s metabolism into a state of building and repair before the surgical stress even takes place.
Problem = Patients are starving before surgery
Solution = Dex + simple fasting card
Our story is just beginning and we hope we can make a difference to patient care.
Please email office@dex.com.au if you would like more information.