Boarding in the PACU: What Do We Do When the Patient Stays Past Sign-Out of Anesthesia

Abstract

Our Perianesthesia Care Unit (PACU) provides efficient, safe care to over 100 surgery patients a day. Length of stay in PACU is approximately two hours and is dependent on many factors such as type and length of surgery. As hospital census and patient acuity increased, it was noted that several patients remained in the PACU, oven overnight, after anesthesia signed off from their care. A process was needed to identify and manage patients who remained in the PACU after anesthesia discharge.