Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) 1. It is essential to have a PACU staffed 24 hours/day and available to the postoperative trauma patient. If the staff is not in-house, hospital policy must be written to assure early notification and prompt response. If this availability requirement is met with a team on call from outside the hospital, the availability of the PACU nurses and compliance with this requirement must be documented. 2. PACU staffing should be in sufficient numbers to meet the critical needs of the trauma patient. 3. The list of required equipment necessary for the PACU can be found online at the Department’s website.