Common Post Anesthesia Care Unit Problelms

Abstract

The recovery room is that area designated for monitoring and care of post-operative patients. It is now referred to as post anesthesia care unit (PACU). Routine care of post-surgical patients in PACU includes monitoring of vital signs as heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, temperature, carbon dioxide and oxygen saturation in arterial blood; as well as, post-operative pain management.

This assay discusses the commonly encountered PACU problem and gives a simple and recent approach for management.

Respiratory complications are well-recognized problems. They include airway obstruction, post-operative hypoxemia, hypoventilation, and pulmonary aspiration.

Airway obstruction may result in dangerous post­ operative hypoxemia if left untreated promptly and rapidly. Hypoxemia is a common and potentially serious post-operative complication. Factors that influence hypoxemia includes; the anesthetic factors, the sugical factors, and any pre-operative underlying medical or chest diseases.

Hypoventilation may result from either depression of the respiratory centers through effect of narcotics and inhalational agents on C02 responsiveness, or poor respiratory muscle function resulting from residual neuromuscular blockade.