When you go to the ER while on a GLP-1, certain information matters and the triage nurse will not ask for it: which drug, last dose date, current dose strength, and whether you have eaten in the last 18 hours. Anesthesiology teams flagged GLP-1 status as a peri-operative variable in 2023, but most ER and floor staff still do not screen for it. Print or save this page and hand it to the intake nurse.
Tell ER staff immediately
| What to say | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Drug name and manufacturer — for example “Wegovy by Novo Nordisk”, “Zepbound by Lilly”, or “compounded semaglutide from [pharmacy]”. | Distinguishes semaglutide vs tirzepatide vs liraglutide and FDA-approved vs compounded. Half-life and labeling differ. |
| Last dose date and approximate time. | Drives anesthesia decisions. Semaglutide half-life is ~7 days; tirzepatide ~5 days; liraglutide ~13 hours. Delayed gastric emptying persists for days after a weekly dose. |
| Current dose strength — for example “Wegovy 2.4 mg weekly” or “Zepbound 10 mg weekly”. | Higher doses and recent escalation steps correlate with stronger GI effects and higher aspiration risk per the ASA 2023 guidance. |
| Whether you have eaten in the last 18 hours, and what. | Direct aspiration-risk variable for any procedure requiring sedation. Solids, full liquids, and even residual stomach contents on imaging change the airway plan. |
| Other medications — insulin, sulfonylureas (glipizide, glimepiride, glyburide), levothyroxine, warfarin, oral contraceptives, anti-epileptics, digoxin. | Insulin and sulfonylureas drive hypoglycemia risk if NPO. Levothyroxine, warfarin, anti-epileptics, and digoxin have narrower absorption windows when emptying is slowed. |
Common ER scenarios — GLP-1 implications
- Vomiting and dehydration. The FDA labels list acute kidney injury in patients with reduced fluid intake. Standard workup: basic metabolic panel, IV fluids, antiemetics. Usually self-limiting once volume is restored; check eGFR before discharge.
- Severe abdominal pain. The labels carry a pancreatitis warning. Rule out with lipase and imaging if elevated or pain persists. Right-upper-quadrant pain with fever or jaundice points to gallbladder disease — also a labeled warning, especially with rapid weight loss.
- Suspected anesthesia required. Tell the anesthesia team about the GLP-1 before sedation. The ASA 2023 consensus and the October 2024 multi-society update specify when to hold, when to use a clear-liquid pre-op, and when to treat the patient as a full stomach with rapid-sequence intubation precautions.
- Acute hypoglycemia. Get a fingerstick. GLP-1 monotherapy rarely causes hypoglycemia, but a GLP-1 on top of insulin or a sulfonylurea does. Treat per ER protocol and have the team adjust insulin or hold the sulfonylurea before discharge.
- Chest pain. Standard MI rule-out applies — ECG, troponin, risk stratification. GLP-1 status does not change the cardiac workup. The SELECT trial showed semaglutide reduced major adverse cardiovascular events; it is not a contraindication to standard cardiac care.
Anesthesia-specific guidance
- Elective procedures. The ASA 2023 guidance recommends holding daily-dosed GLP-1s (Saxenda, Victoza) on the day of surgery and weekly-dosed GLP-1s (Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound, Mounjaro) for one week before elective surgery.
- 2024 multi-society update. ASA, AGA, ASMBS, AAOA, and IARS released a joint update in October 2024 allowing continuation for lower-risk patients with a 24-hour clear-liquid diet for higher-risk patients. Confirm what your anesthesia team is using.
- Emergency surgery proceeds. A GLP-1 is not a reason to delay. The team will use rapid-sequence intubation, cricoid pressure, and full-stomach precautions to manage aspiration risk.
- Gastric ultrasound. Point-of-care gastric ultrasound is increasingly used to estimate residual stomach contents in GLP-1 patients before sedation and can override a calendar-based hold rule.
- Regional or minimal-sedation procedures. A regional block, a true local-only procedure, or a non-sedated workup does not need a GLP-1 hold.
What ER staff might not know
- GLP-1 plus sulfonylurea hypoglycemia risk persists for hours. A single dose of glipizide or glimepiride is still on board even if the GLP-1 was held; observe and recheck glucose.
- GLP-1 status does not change standard MI or stroke care. ECG, troponin, CT, and tPA decisions are unchanged. Do not let GLP-1 use delay time-critical workup.
- The thyroid C-cell tumor warning is rodent-data only. It does not justify refusing thyroid imaging, head and neck imaging, or any diagnostic study. Human relevance is undetermined per the FDA labels.
- Gastroparesis-like symptoms on a GLP-1 are usually transient. Nausea, early satiety, and bloating are expected effects, especially after a dose step — rarely pathological gastroparesis. Persistent or severe symptoms still warrant workup.
- Compounded GLP-1s are not FDA-approved. Identity and concentration are not guaranteed. Ask for the pharmacy, batch number, and concentration in mg/mL.
What to bring — printable checklist
- Prescription bottle, pen, or pharmacy label with drug name, dose, and prescriber.
- List of all current medications including supplements and over-the-counter drugs.
- Most recent A1C if you have type 2 diabetes; recent labs (eGFR, creatinine, hepatic panel) if available.
- Insurance card and primary-care or prescriber contact information.
- Date and approximate time of last dose, written down so you do not have to remember under stress.
What this cheat sheet does not cover
This is a general adult medical-ER reference. Psychiatric ER presentations are out of scope — suicidality assessment is unchanged by GLP-1 status (FDA found no causal link in January 2024). Pediatric ER protocols use different airway, fluid, and dosing rules. Pre-surgical clearance is a separate specialty workflow with its own GLP-1 hold decision. Compounded-product identity and overdose assessment are also out of scope.