Postanesthesia Care Unit Management
In infants, perioperative anesthetic morbidity is higher than in other age groups, which underscores the importance of the dedicated pediatric postanesthesia care unit (PACU). The pediatric PACU environment requires careful planning and ongoing maintenance in order to provide a safe, efficient environment for the recovering pediatric patient. This chapter indicates the widespread knowledge of basic principles of postanesthetic recovery and the publication of general national standards, and specific practices that are dictated by institutional experience and preference. It discusses the design, equipment, staffing, transport, handover and assessment, monitoring and patient safety, parental presence, and discharge criteria of the PACU. The chapter discusses several potential postanesthesia problems and complications related to respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and some specific conditions such as hypothermia and hyperthermia, emergence agitation or delirium, seizures and myoclonus, pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, and medication errors.
