Immediate post-anaesthesia recovery | Association of Anaesthetists

Immediate post-anaesthesia recovery

Please note that these guidelines are currently under review and will be updated in due course

Summary 

Every patient undergoing general anaesthesia or central neuraxial blockade for surgery should be recovered in a designated area. These post-anaesthesia care units, or PACUs, should comply with the standards and recommendations described in these guidelines and the supplementary document. 

These guidelines include information on: 

  • Monitoring, equipment and drugs 
  • PACU staff 
  • Transfer and handover of care to the PACU team 
  • Management of patients in the PACU 
  • Discharge from the PACU 
  • Audit and quality control in the PACU