After this session you’ll be able to:

• Identify key areas of patient flow that can be redirected to enhance throughput and minimize holds.
• Discuss whether the OR should be on hold status when there are no PACU beds.
• Recognize signs that your hospital system is in need of an interface to manage PACU throughput.

Why this is important:

Postanesthesia care units (PACUs) have evolved as a place to manage patients beyond the OR—even as a location to hold patients who have not yet received anesthesia. This dilemma is common in hospitals across the country.

Management of this problem requires identifying patient pathways and working with other hospital systems to effectively manage patient flow. As Dr. Lobo addresses the challenges of throughput and holds, he will validate patient safety as the prime consideration, along with the necessity of proper bed placement. He will use his success stories to help you resolve throughput issues in your PACU and prepare a laundry list of patient care systems that can be considered to make your PACU a PACU once again.