N.J. Admin. Code § 8:43A-12.17

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 11, June 3, 2024

Section 8:43A-12.17 - 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.

1. If a patient who has received conscious sedation or a minor regional block is able to walk to the postanesthesia care unit, the patient shall be accompanied by at least one individual, who shall be a member of the anesthesia team.

(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 who has received general anesthesia or regional anesthesia, unless such monitoring is not clinically feasible for the patient.

(f) Each patient who has received general anesthesia or regional anesthesia 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 Post Anesthesia Care Unit record maintained for each patient in the postanesthesia care unit shall include at least such preoperative data as allergies, physical and mental impairments, prostheses, vital signs, drug use, mobility limitations, and, when indicated, radiologic findings, laboratory values, and electrocardiogram.

(i) The Post Anesthesia Care Unit record maintained for each patient in the postanesthesia care shall include at least such postoperative data as the patient's general condition, temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, level of consciousness, circulation, 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 8:43A-12.14(b).

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:43A-12.17

Recodified from N.J.A.C. 8:43A-12.14 by R.2003 d.56, effective 2/3/2003.
See: 34 New Jersey Register 224(a), 35 New Jersey Register 857(a).
Former N.J.A.C. 8:43A-12.17, Physical plant, recodified to N.J.A.C. 8:43A-12.20. Rewrote (a), (c) through (d) and (h); in (i), substituted "Post Anesthesia Care Unit" for "medical"; in (j), substituted "set forth at N.J.A.C. 8:43A-12.14(b)" for "specified at N.J.A.C. 8:43A-12.11(b)".