Recovery Stage
For purposes of this discussion, the recovery phase
consists of the period that begins at the
completion of the operation and extends
until the patient has recovered from
anesthesia. The recovery phase
generally takes place in a specialized area called the
recovery room. This unit is usually located
near the operating room and has access
to the following:
Surgeons and anesthesiologists or anesthetists
Nurses and Hospital Corps personnel who are specially prepared to care for
immediate postoperative patients
Special equipment, supplies, medication, and replacement fluids
From the time of admission to patient discharge,
routine care in the recovery room consists of the
following:
Measuring temperature and vital signs (taken immediately upon admission
and as ordered by the physician
thereafter)
Maintaining airway patency
-Patients having an artificial airway in place will automatically expel it as
they regain consciousness.
-Have a mechanical suction apparatus available to remove excess excretions
from the patient's airway.
Ensuring the integrity of dressings, tubes, catheters and casts
-Locate the presence of any of the above.
-Make notations regarding all drainage, including color, type, and amount.
-Immediately report the presence of copious amounts of drainage to a nurse or
physician.
Monitoring intravenous therapy (including blood and blood components)
-Make notations including type of infusion, rate of flow, and condition of the
infusion site.
-Observe patients receiving blood or blood components closely for untoward
reactions.
Monitoring skin color changes
-Check dressings and casts frequently to ensure they are not interfering with
normal blood circulation to the area.
-Notify a physician or nurse of general skin color changes that may indicate
airway obstruction, hemorrhage, or
shock.
Assessing level of responsiveness
-For general anesthetics, check for orientation to the environment each time
vital signs are taken.
-For regular anesthetics, check for return of sensory perception and voluntary
movement each time vital signs are
taken.
Observing for side effects of the anesthetic agent
-Each agent has the potential for causing specific side effects. Some common
major side effects that may occur
following the administration of both
spinal and general anesthesia consist
of the following:
Hypotension/shock
Respiratory paralysis
Neurological complications
Headache
Cardiac arrest
Respiratory depression
Bronchospasm/laryngospasm
Diminished circulation
Vomiting/aspiration
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