Question

To be approved for discharge from PACU, the patient should exhibit:

(a) Normal breathing

(b) No bleeding and swelling

(c) Oxygen saturation of min 90

(d) Temperature greater than 96.8

This question was posed to me in an international level competition.

My question is from Pre and Post Operative Care topic in chapter Anaesthesia of Clinical Science

Answer 1

Correct answer is (d) Temperature greater than 96.8

To explain I would say: Patients recovering from surgery and anesthesia have lost physiologic homeostasis. They’re at risk for respiratory and circulatory deficits, reduced physical activity and alterations in core body temperature and level of consciousness. It is an essential condition for discharge to possess a core body temperature of not less than 36° C (96.8° F).