|  | Surgeries Operations | Surgeries

Clear Liquid Diet Prior to Cardiac Catheterization

According to information from the American Heart Association, a cardiac catheterization is a medical procedure used to determine both the amount of oxygen in the blood and the blood pressure within the heart itself. This is possible through the insertion of a small plastic tube into the heart. Prior to this procedure, your physician may ask you to follow a clear liquid diet for a day or two to help prepare your body for a cardiac catheterization.

  1. Liquid Diet Rules

    • Follow a clear liquid diet for no more than a few days at a stretch (unless otherwise directed by your supervising doctor). According to information from the Mayo Clinic, a clear liquid diet can leave your body at risk for malnutrition due to its relatively low caloric content. While on a clear liquid diet you will be asked to subsist only on liquid foods that you can see through. The only exception to this rule is the inclusion of tea and coffee in the diet; so long as you do not add cream or sugar, you can have a cup or two of coffee or tea daily on a clear liquid diet. The other general items that you are permitted to eat on this diet are natural pulp-free fruit juices, broth, gelatin (such as Jell-O), Popsicles, honey and (of course) water. While on this diet you should aim to consume a calorie-containing beverage every hour or so to maximize your daily caloric limit. Although there is no way you will come close to meeting a standard daily 2,000-calorie intake while on a clear liquid diet, you should try to come as close as possible to keep your body in optimal condition while following this restrictive approach.

    Sample Menu

    • A day's eating on a clear liquid diet might approximate the following. For breakfast, lunch and dinner, consume a glass or two of natural fruit juice with a cup of broth and a bowl of Jell-O. In between, you should attempt to constantly sip a sports drink or other type of calorie-containing clear liquid beverage to bolster your daily caloric total. It may help to ask the other members of your family to keep solid food as far away from you as possible to diminish cravings, along with planning a big meal for when you are no longer on the clear liquid diet. Having something to look forward to can make your time on a clear liquid diet more bearable, so remember that it is only for a few days at most, and tough it out.

Surgeries - Related Articles