Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) 1. A Level III Trauma Center must have a PACU staffed and available 24 hours/day to the postoperative trauma patient. 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 must be in sufficient numbers to meet the critical need of the trauma patient. 3. The list of required equipment necessary for the PACU can be found online at the Department’s website.