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Post Anesthesia Care (PACU)
The Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) is also called the recovery room. After surgery, all patients are first admitted to the PACU for monitoring regardless of whether they have had surgery as an outpatient or will require admission to the hospital following more extensive surgery. Our Staff
Our staff is composed of Registered Nurses (RNs), who are certified in advanced cardiac life support for adults and pediatrics. Nursing goals in the PACU are to assist patients to a safe return to consciousness without complications or adverse reactions to drugs and treatments. The PACU Patient Experience
Upon arriving to the PACU, patients are connected to monitors for the nurse to continually observe. The PACU nurse will frequently check blood pressure, respiration (breathing), and heart rate and rhythm. The nurse also checks dressings (bandages), regulates intravenous (IV) fluids, and administers pain medication as necessary. Patients vary in the time it takes to fully wake up from anesthesia. The average length of stay in the PACU is 1-3 hours. If a patient has to stay longer than expected, he/she should not be alarmed! A longer stay may be necessary to ensure that the patient receives the very best of care and is comfortable before being discharged. The surgeon typically will call the patient's designated family member or significant other after the surgery via cell phone. After the patient is stable and awake enough, our PACU nurse will call and update the family member as well. The staff makes every effort to allow visitation of the patient, even if just for a quick hello given the time and space constraints. Goals for Discharge
Patients must reach certain criteria before discharge from PACU, whether they are staying the night in the hospital or going home. If the patient is scheduled to go home after surgery, the nurses must be thorough in making sure that he/she will be well taken care of at home. Criteria for discharge include: - awake and alert
- tolerating liquids without nausea or vomiting
- pain controlled with oral pain medications
- vital signs return to Pre-Op values
- stable and walking safely
- able to void (urinate) before discharge
Rules to Follow After Being Discharged Home
A patient's discharge is the decision of the anesthesiologist and surgeon. At the time of discharge, the nurse will review written discharge instructions with the patient and the person who accompanies him/her. The patient will be given a copy of these instructions to take home. Please ask questions. It is important that the patient and the person responsible for taking him/her home both understand these instructions. The patient should have another adult with him/her for the first 24 hours after surgery. The patient should not drive, operate machinery, drink alcoholic beverages, or make any important decisions while taking narcotic pain medication. He/she also should avoid any drugs other than those prescribed by his/her physician for at least the first 24 hours. Follow-up
If the patient is discharged from the PACU, we will contact him/her the next day after surgery by phone to see how he/she is feeling. The patient is also encouraged to contact us at any time with any questions. In a few weeks, the patient will receive a satisfaction survey as part of our ongoing quality improvement program. Please take time to share comments regarding your experience at Vail Valley Medical Center. We are interested in your comments and share them with our staff in our efforts to continue to provide the highest quality of care.
Post Anesthesia Care (PACU)
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