Table 1.

Respiratory-specific assessment performed during phase I anesthesia recovery through postanesthesia care unit evaluation

Assessment	Evaluation perioda
Bradypnea: <8 respirations per min (3 episodesb needed for ‘yes’)	Initial 30 min after extubation or PACU admission (whichever occurs later)	Second 30 min after initial evaluation (60 min after extubation or PACU admission)	Third 30 min after second evaluation (90 min after extubation or PACU admission)
Apnea: ≥10s (only 1 episode needed for ‘yes’)
Desaturations: pulse oxygen saturation <90% with nasal cannula (3 episodes needed for ‘yes’)
Pain/sedation mismatch: RASS score –3 to –5 and Pain Scale Scorec >5 (only 1 episode needed for ‘yes’)

PACU, postanesthesia care unit; RASS, Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale.

^aThe first respiratory assessment is obtained during the first 30 min after extubation. If no respiratory-specific assessments occur, the patient can be dismissed when discharge criteria are met (i.e., modified Aldrete criteria) [36]. However, if an event occurs during the first 30 min, the patient must have two consecutive evaluation periods (30 min each) free of further events before being discharged from phase I recovery. Patients who have recurrent events, but eventually meet phase I discharge criteria for care in the standard postoperative ward, have continuous pulse oximetry for at least 48 h.

^bRecurrent episodes are defined as any episode occurring at more than one evaluation period (not necessary to be same episode).

^cPain Scale Score is a standard, 11-point scale that ranges from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable).

Adapted with permission from [35].