Ever carried a patient to PACU?

[hypnus]

Have any of you ever carried a pedi patient to PACU? Awake, breathing, can visualize skin for color, etc. Long story but facility I was at expected this.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

I'm afraid, but only guessing, if you check out resources and make a project you will find this is all completely unsafe, illegal, against all ASA protocol, etc. Who cares what common sense and patient comfort is. We must follow the PROTOCOL!!!!!!

It is not illegal. There is no law that says someone can't carry a pediatric patient from OR to PACU.

There is nothing in ASA or AANA practice documents that forbid anesthesia providers or anyone else from carrying patients.

Is it safer to carry a child to PACU or let them ride on the stretcher....? Either one is safe if done right. You will more than likely be sued and lose if the patient rolls off the stretcher or is dropped while carrying them.

There are a lot of anesthesia providers that keep their pediatric patients deep and don't wake them up in the OR. I am one of them. I usually get peds breathing on their own before the end of the case, place an oral airway, extubate deep, and then take them to the PACU for wakeup/recovery.

IMO it is better to have the child wake up with the parent at the bedside then with a bunch of people in scrubs with masks and hats standing over them, but that is just my .

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

Only ever seen it done with babies, wide awake, short procedure, and then only with docs who are themselves new dads and a bit baby crazy themselves.

It's not recognized safe practice, though, regardless of the size of the kiddie. Besides, the bigger ones are inclined to struggle once they start waking up, so the fall risk is very high. Transport rules in my hospital are, cot with sides up, or bed with safety rails. We used to use trolleys with safety belts, and never had a kid fall off, but our too-clever health and safety officer has decreed cots, so now we have the added risk of a restless, crying child bumping his or her head on the cot rails....

[hypnus]

Lots of good info here. I was at a very small facility where PACU was literally a 30 second stroll away. The procedure was a BMT and the patient emerged in the OR. I suppose every circumstance is completely different. That's why nothing can replace the eyes and ears of the anesthetist for evaluating whether or not this type of transport is safe for the child.

[foraneman]

You will not find any 'national standard' or recommendation regarding this. Whether or not it is viewed as 'safe practice' will vary institution to institution and practitioner to practitioner. I see nothing wrong with it, have done it myself, and have seen it done in multiple institutions without mishap.

[BCRNA]

"standard of practice" is the standard you will be held against, not what people in practice usually do. Just because everyone does it does not mean it is a "standard of practice". There is a huge difference between the two. In court you will be held to "standard practice" and not what practices are standard. It is a much higher standard. It is formed by expert committees and usually formally posted for public view. Feel free to check out AANA and ASA websites and search for "standards". It is the behavior that a competent provider would be expected to do (for the instances where there is no written policy to refer to).