How is the post anesthesia recovery score used?

For discharge: Post anesthesia recovery score basically helps to tell when a patient is ready to discharge from the post-anesthesia care unit (pacu). Patients should be awake, have stable and normal vital signs, have controlled pain, minimal nausea, and show no ill effects from surgery or anesthesia.

Discharge readiness: It is used to help determine when patients are ready to be discharged from the post anesthesia care unit. It is based on alertness, pain, nausea and return of function. From the primary pacu the patient may then go to the floor if they are either an inpatient or going ot be admitted or to a secondary discharge area to get ready to go home.

Evaluation: The post anesthesia recovery score is used to judge wether a patient can be released from the pacu and be sent either to the floor or to home. The use of this scale allows a consistent approach to all patients, no matter what surgery they have had.

Aldrete score: A modified aldrete score is used to evaluate post operative recovery.