Factors Affecting Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Length of Stay in Pediatric Patients after an Adenotonsillectomy

Objectives: (1) To identify clinical factors and perioperative practices that correlate with longer length of stay (LOS) in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) after adenotonsillectomy (T&A) in pediatric populations. (2) To understand the relationship between family presence and PACU LOS for pediatric patients after T&A. Methods: Pediatric patients (ages 3-17) who underwent T&A between February 2016 and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Factors assessed for impact on PACU LOS included BMI, preoperative medications, intraoperative medications/narcotics, postoperative medications/narcotics, method of postoperative medication administration, and family presence in the PACU. Kruskal–Wallis and Spearman tests were used to assess correlations. Statistical significance was set a priori at P < .05. Results: Our cohort included 500 patients. Patients were in the PACU for an average of 135.4 minutes (±65.8). Subset analyses of the type of medications administered intra-operatively and in the PACU show that the intraoperative administration of sedatives is associated with increased LOS ( P = .014). Postoperative administration of any medications ( P < .001), and specifically, postoperative administration of narcotics ( P < .001), analgesics ( P = .043), antihistamines ( P < .001), and dopamine antagonists ( P = .011), are associated with increased LOS. Administration of PACU medications by IV was also correlated with shorter LOS compared to oral administration of PACU medications ( P = .016). A comparison of patients who received PACU medications to those who did not demonstrated that intraoperative administration of acetaminophen was associated with a reduced need for PACU medication administration ( P = .012). Shorter waiting times for family arrival in the PACU was also associated with shorter LOS ( P < .001). Conclusion: Our results suggest that postoperative medication administration and time until family arrival in the PACU are associated with significant differences in LOS. We also find that intraoperative administration of acetaminophen is correlated with reduced need for postoperative medication administration. Standardizing postoperative practices to minimize PACU LOS could result in a more efficient recovery for pediatric patients undergoing T&A.