ABSTRACT
The anaesthetist should transfer the patient from the theatre to the recovery room ensuring adequate monitoring and support. Following the transfer of the patient to the recovery room, good handover and clear instructions to the recovery staff responsible for the patient helps predict and avoid common problems encountered in the recovery room. Many problems that arise in the recovery room can be anticipated based on the patient's co-morbidities, the surgical procedure and the intra-operative course. Post-operative nausea and vomiting is a common problem following general anaesthesia, and it may also result from hypotension following spinal and epidural anaesthesia. Post-operative shivering is commonly observed as a result of hypothermia following heat loss during anaesthesia. The discharge of the patient from the recovery unit is the prime responsibility of the anaesthetist, but surgical considerations might mean that the responsibility is shared with the surgeon.
