AB179. SOH24AB_275. Clinical audit on postanaesthetic patient handover to National Health Service protocol in University Hospital Limerick recovery room by anaesthetic non-consultant hospital doctors

Background: Effective patient handover in the post-operative care unit (PACU) is a crucial step in quality perioperative care and ensures patient safety. The information relayed at a minimum should include medical history, allergy status, intra-operative events and anticipated post operative plans and concerns.

Methods: We audited postoperative anaesthetic handover to recovery nurses at University Hospital Limerick’s (UHL)’s PACU. We used a standardized checklist developed by National Health Service (NHS) Bradford Teaching Hospital, formatted as Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation (SBAR). Data were collected by PACU nurses for all surgeries between November 6th, 2023, and November 20th, 2023. Descriptive statistics were utilized for data analysis.

Results: UHL is renowned as one of the busiest hospitals in Ireland. It’s worth noting that there could be a potential underrepresentation of data collected during emergency cases and periods of peak recovery activity. Our audit revealed a 57% compliance rate in the majority of the parameters outlined in our standardized checklist, a 17% compliance rate with the recommendations regarding patient transfer to intensive care unit (ICU)/high dependency unit (HDU)/ward/home and a 14% compliance rate for providing contact details for inquiries. Additionally, the audit reveals a 36% compliance rate for tasks such as flushing intravenous lines, specifying theatre numbers, and reporting American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) scores.

Conclusions: This audit identified critical areas that require attention and improvement. The identified shortcomings emphasize the importance of ongoing efforts to refine and standardize the postoperative handover process. Continuous monitoring and regular updates to handover protocols will contribute to a more robust and effective postoperative patient handover system, ultimately advancing patient safety and the quality of care provided.

Keywords: Postoperative; patient handover; aesthesia; post-operative care unit (PACU); Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation checklist (SBAR checklist)