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How to Organise the PACU? What to Treat in the PACU?

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Postoperative Care in Thoracic Surgery

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Abstract

The implementation of the post-anaesthesia care units (PACUs) has the potential to improve patient safety and reduce the incidence of early postoperative complications and mortality, length of hospital stay and hospital costs. Increased availability of the PACU beds resulted in reduced utilisation of intensive care unit resources without compromising patient care after major thoracic surgery. There is an emphasis on early identification and treatment of adverse events occurring in the PACU such as airway obstruction, aspiration of vomitus, postoperative nausea and vomiting, inadequate ventilation from residual anaesthetics or muscle relaxants, anxiety, glycaemic control, pain, hypothermia and cardiopulmonary, renal and surgical complications. This could improve the outcome and reduce mortality after thoracic surgery.

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Acknowledgements

The authors want to express his appreciation for Ms. Angelin Jeba Suja, PACU staff nurse, King Fahd Hospital of the University of Dammam, for preparing the included photographs in this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anaesthesiology Department, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

    Mohamed R. El Tahan

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  1. Mohamed R. El Tahan
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Correspondence to Mohamed R. El Tahan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mert Şentürk

  2. Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mukadder Orhan Sungur

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El Tahan, M.R. (2017). How to Organise the PACU? What to Treat in the PACU?. In: Şentürk, M., Orhan Sungur, M. (eds) Postoperative Care in Thoracic Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19908-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19908-5_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19907-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19908-5

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