Place of the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit in Patient Care after Anesthesia

Aim: The aim of this study is to emphasize that the post-anesthesia care unit provides good quality service and is an important place for treatment of patients at high risk of postoperative complications. Material And Methods: Patients admitted to the post-anesthesia care unit with ASA II, III, IV, and V risk group during the postoperative period between 1 March 2013 and 30 September 2013 in Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital were retrospectively evaluated for data relating to age, gender, disease requiring surgery, surgical procedures, and perioperative anesthesia method, admission criteria for postoperative post-anesthesia care unit, duration of stay in post-anesthesia care unit and patient's follow-up information in the ward. Results: A total of 583 patients who were admitted to the post-anesthesia care unit between 1 March 2013 and 30 September 2013 in Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital were evaluated, retrospectively. Of patients 74.8% of in risk group ASA III. The average age was 59.36 years. Of patients 51.6% were male and 48.4% were female. In terms of clinic, 38.4% of the patients were operated by general surgery, 30.4% were operated by the department of orthopedics. General anesthesia was administered to 93.7% of the patients. Of patients, 48.7% had respiratory failure and 25.4% had hypotension. For 98.5% of patients post-anesthesia unit stay was one day and 6.5% of the patients were transferred to the intensive care unit. Conclusions: We revealed that the majority of PACU admissions were patients undergoing general surgery procedures and the most frequent cause of admission was respiratory failure. This study shows that PACU has a considerably important place in peroperative patient management.