NPO is an acronym for non per os (Latin) or nothing by
mouth. This means the patient should receive absolutely nothing by mouth, no food or
drink. There are many reasons and circumstances that warrant a physician's order of NPO.
Say for example, someone has nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The gut needs rest until
the offending cause is eliminated by the body. The last thing this person needs is to
try to eat, most people that are nauseated get further nauseated if they try to
eat.
Another example of when NPO is appropriate is
preoperatively. If a person is going to receive general anesthesia, the gut should be
empty to try to prevent aspiration of stomach contents postoperatively. Anesthetics very
commonly cause nausea and vomiting in a high percentage of people, not to mention the
emotional component to having surgery. Some people will vomit after surgery because of
the emotional stress of the situation.
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