Back to basics. Patient assessment in recovery

The immediate post-anaesthetic period is a particularly vulnerable time for patients, fraught with risk from dangerous complications. Recovery staff play a vital role in the ongoing, continuous assessment of patients at this period in their operative experience, and must be skilled in detecting and preventing the onset of serious, sometimes life-threatening events. Vigilant recovery care can assist in ensuring ward staff receive an awake, stable and comfortable patient who has been cared for in an atmosphere where safety and comfort are of paramount concern.