Practice Consideration

Perianesthesia Communication (Practice Consideration)

Last AANA revision: 2023

Effective handoff between anesthesia provider and PACU/ICU staff is one of the highest-impact safety interventions. Structured handoff frameworks (SBAR, IPASS, ANTS) reduce communication errors and adverse events.

Key points

1.Structured framework: patient identifiers → procedure → anesthetic → vital signs trend → fluids/blood → complications/concerns → postop plan
2.Direct verbal handoff (not just chart) reduces near-misses by 30-50%
3.ICU intubated handoff longer (10+ min) — sedation plan, ventilator settings, lines, pressors, antibiotics
4.Closed-loop communication: receiver repeats back critical info
5.Document handoff time + recipient name in record

This is an exam-prep summary, not a substitute for the full AANA document. Read the source at aana.com for authoritative wording. Education only.