The care that a patient receives in the first hours after surgery is crucial to minimizing the risk of complications such as heart attacks, pneumonia, and blood clots. As the patient awakes from their drug-induced coma, it takes time for them to metabolize and excrete these drugs, during which period they remain unable to care for themselves, and at increased risk of harm. The recovery room staff must manage both comatose and physiologically unstable patients, and
deal with the immediate post-operative care of surgical patients.

The fifth edition of this popular book provides nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists with clear guidance on how to manage day-to-day problems and how to make difficult decisions. Previous editions of this book have established it as the definitive guide to setting-up, equipping, staffing, and administering an acute care unit. It includes basic science such as physiology and pharmacology, specific symptoms including pain and vomiting, and has chapters devoted to the unique post-operative needs of
individual types of surgery.

This new edition brings this important text up to date and new drugs and techniques for monitoring are described. A new section looks ahead to the future development and design of recovery rooms and how they can contribute to patient well being.