PACU Things to Know Study Guide 2024
Role of the PACU nurse
โ PACU nurse helps patients recover from the effects of anesthesia. (helps them
recover ABC)
Specifics:
1. Receive report from the anesthetist, Assess wound.
2. Monitor VS every 15 minutes and chart
3. Manage pain and n/v with doctor ordered meds. (IV push, oxygen, encourage deep
breathing)
4. patients wake up in 15 to 30 minutes to become fully awake and become VS stable;
5. know that older adults, COPD, upper ab surgery, thoracic surgery many need more
oxygen
6. know that longer surgeries build higher concentrations of anesthetic in their tissues ->
they wake up more slowly
7. know that people with liver, kidney problem recover more slowly from anesthesia..
(metabolism, excretion problem?)
Adrete score
โ Activity: 2. Moves well
Respiration: 2. Breaths deeply and coughs
Circulation: 2. BP within 20 of preanesthetic level
Consiousness: 2. Fully Awake
O2Sat: 2: greater than 92; 1: greater than 90% on supplemental O2
Generally, to be discharged from PACU patients must be:
1. awake and oriented
2. have clear airways, can breathe autonomously
3. acceptable vital signs for 15-30 mins
4. tolerates pain; extra 20 mins after pain med administration
5. not vomiting
6. not hypothermic
7. not bleeding
8. patients with regional anesthesia must be able to feel and move extremities..
3 lead ECG
โ White is right, red is bottom left
https://prezi.com/-qkl30xfzmqq/3-lead-ecg-interpretation/
PACU Meds
โ NSAIDS: Aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, ketorolac, ketoprofen
Opioid analgesics: Morphine, Codeine, Medepridine, Fentanyl
