Fasting before coronary angiography: a scoping review protocol

Type of funding sources: None.

Nowadays, coronary heart disease is one of the major threats to a long and healthy life. The widespread demand for a tool to assess coronary artery anatomy has made coronary angiography a mainstream procedure. As with many other procedures, a fasting period before and after it is required. Despite this, the current practice does not rely on any study and therefore, if the procedure is to be delayed, which, unfortunately, often occurs, this might have major implications on the patient’s well-being and safety.

To map the literature on fasting before coronary angiography.

This review follows the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology of scoping reviews, thus two reviewers independently will perform the study selection regarding their eligibility. Data synthesis will be presented in tabular form and a narrative summary that align with the review's objective. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension to scoping reviews guidelines will be used to report the results. An initial limited search of MEDLINE (PubMed) and CINAHL (EBSCO) will be undertaken, followed by a search on the following databases: the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Scopus. Additionally, to further increase the evidence available, unpublished studies will be included, and a search on: OpenGrey (OpenGrey.eu), DART-Europe and publications of interventional cardiology reference sites will be conducted.

Mapping the evidence will contribute to identifying the focus of the study.

It is expected that this review serves as a gateway for the development of future studies and guidelines which could improve daily clinical practice.