Decreasing Postsurgical Length of Stay in the Postanesthesia Care Unit for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obese Patients Using Exspiron Minute Ventilation Monitoring

Purpose

In the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), it is imperative to monitor respiration and ventilation, especially in patients diagnosed with or at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Research studies have been published to highlight the importance of minute ventilation monitoring (MVM) as an early warning system of impending respiratory compromise, warranting studies to assess timely safe discharge in this high-risk population at UC San Diego Health.

Design

This quantitative study was conducted using a two-group comparative design method.

Methods

Length of stay was measured in 100 patients identified as high risk in the surgical setting with diagnosed or suspected OSA or a documented body mass index ≥40 with and without the use of MVM to evaluate its impact on PACU length of stay. Fifty patients were monitored using the University of California San Diego (USCD) Health standard of care monitoring of respiratory rate, pulse oximetry, and capnography when indicated, then compared to 50 patients monitored with the UCSD Health standard of care with the addition of MVM using the Exspiron monitoring device.

Findings

PACU length of stay decreased for those who received MVM (M = 106.22, SD = 56.85) than those who did not (M = 140.96, SD = 81.55), a statistically significant difference of 34.74 (95% CI, 6.64 to 62.83), t(97) = 2.46, P = .016. Total time savings between the 2 groups was 1,843 minutes of PACU bed occupancy.

Conclusions

The use of minute ventilation monitoring in addition to the standard of care in postsurgical patients can significantly reduce the length of high-risk patients with known or suspected OSA safely from the postoperative care unit.