Transportation

After tracheal extubation, the patient is transferred from the operating room table to a stretcher with side rails that can be moved into both the Trendelenburg and head-up positions, if necessary. The patient should be transported from the operating room in the lateral position to minimize the risk of airway obstruction or aspiration of gastric contents from vomiting.

Whether O₂ should be delivered during transport has been studied. For example, 199 patients after general anesthesia in an ambulatory surgery center were randomized to receive either room air or 2 to 4 L/min by nasal cannula.^[46] The mean O₂ saturation on arrival in the PACU was 95% in the room air group versus 97.2% in the nasal cannula group, a statistically significant difference. In the room air group, 10% of patients had O₂ saturations less than 90%. In the nasal cannula group, 6% had O₂ saturations less than 90% on arrival in the PACU. Patients 60 years or older or those weighing 100 kg or more were at higher risk for desaturation.