Colon/EGD Recovery Time

[Jtkknj]

Hello again,

Further questions....

AHCA, JCAHO, etc.... Florida ASC

Any knowledge here about required recovery times for post colonoscopy, EGD with strictly propofol used? Aldrete scoring in use with current 20-30 minute post op time.

I have witnessed other facilities take much less post op time and patients were of course wide awake after propofol. I have searched for answers and if not able to glean any advice here then I will phone AHCA, JCAHO directly. Thank you

[pacurn75]

Recovery time is very variable and will be based on procedure length, sedation used and condition of the patient. Most facilities are going to criteria-based discharge scores that allow the patient to be discharged when they meet criteria. It must be approved by your anesthesia staff no matter what area you practice as TJC charges them with the rules pertaining to anesthesia and sedation.

That being said, even under terrific conditions, it does take 15-20 minutes, at the very least, to get report, take 2 sets of vitals, DC the IV, give discharge instructions and whatever else you might need to do (set up appts., tests, assist with dressing). 30-45 seems to be the going average in the locale where I work when I talk to others at conferences. No one will ever fault you for keeping them longer (other than waiting relatives :)). I also mentioned 2 sets of vitals. The last TJC we went through made a lot of fuss over whether we were able to ascertain of the patient was "stable" if they only had one set of VS after the procedure was done. I believe the comment was made, "how do you tell which way the patient is trending?" We have set our machines on q5min because of that. If they come out waving and wanting to "get outta Dodge", then we use the 5 minute results and get them through as fast as is safe. If they are more snoozy, then we back off and record them q 10-15 min based on their needs. Hope this helps

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Strictly Propofol? Out the door in thirty minutes, VAST majority, thirty minutes. I can point to the exceptions here and there that needed 35 or 40. I can think of less than ten in the last year that needed 45, out of over a thousand.....keep in mind that patients ALWAYS want to linger longer, they want to stay asleep and not be woken up post-procedure. They want to go BACK to sleep when you are rousing them for assessment and snack. I've taken at least 3 sets of vitals, sometimes four.

But all things being standard and typical, thirty minutes is all anesthesia, GI doc, or accreditation agency expect. The OP said endoscopy only, so there IS no dressings, etc.