N.J. Admin. Code § 8:43G-35.4

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 8:43G-35.4 - Postanesthesia care patient services

(a) The patient shall be accompanied to the postanesthesia care unit by two individuals, one of whom, stationed at the patient's head, shall be responsible for the patient's airway.

(b) An oral report on the patient's condition shall be given to postanesthesia care unit nursing staff by a member of the anesthesia team when the patient is admitted to the postanesthesia care unit.

(c) A member of the anesthesia team shall stay with the patient in the postanesthesia care unit at least until the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure, are recorded.

(d) The postanesthesia care unit staff shall continually evaluate the condition of each patient and maintain an accurate written report of his or her vital signs, with an objective scoring system used to track the patient's recovery from anesthesia from the time of admission to the unit until discharge.

(e) Electrocardiographic monitoring shall be conducted for each patient, unless such monitoring is not clinically feasible for the patient.

(f) Each patient shall be monitored by pulse oximetry, unless such monitoring is not clinically feasible for the patient.

(g) The postanesthesia care unit shall have immediate access to end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring, if general anesthesia is administered to intubated patients in the facility.

(h) The medical record maintained for each patient in the postanesthesia care unit shall include at least such preoperative data as allergies, physical and mental impairments, prostheses, electrocardiogram, vital signs, radiologic findings, laboratory values, drug use, and mobile limitations.

(i) The Post Anesthesia Care Unit record maintained for each patient in the postanesthesia unit care shall include at least such postoperative data as the patient's general condition, respiration, consciousness, circulation, temperature, special problems or precautions, summary of fluids received during surgery, and oxygen saturation.

(j) Patients shall be discharged from the postanesthesia care unit using discharge criteria, including authority to discharge, which have been developed through the postanesthesia policies and procedures set forth at 8:43G-35.1(a)1.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:43G-35.4

Amended by R.2003 d.57, effective 2/3/2003.
See: 34 New Jersey Register 232(a), 35 New Jersey Register 865(a).
In (a), substituted "responsible for the patient's airway" for "a member of the anesthesia team"; in (c), inserted "temperature" preceding "pulse"; in (d), inserted "staff" following "care unit"; rewrote (g); in (i), substituted "Post Anesthesia Care Unit" for "medical" and inserted "temperature" following "circulation"; in (j), substituted "set forth" for "specified" preceding the N.J.A.C. reference.