Through a retrospective observational research study, clinician scientists in the Montefiore Einstein Department of Anesthesiology found that postoperative reintubation of patients is associated with twice the amount of hospital costs. The researchers analyzed data from more than 68,000 adult patients who underwent non-cardiac surgery with general anesthesia during the period between 2016 and 2021. Patients who were reintubated within seven days of surgery were associated with direct hospital costs that were $20,000 higher than patients who were not reintubated. However, prolonged surveillance in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) – defined as four hours or more – was found to mitigate the increase in hospital costs. The researchers noted that this effect can likely be attributed to earlier reintubation – within one day of surgery – in patients who required this intervention. This study underscores the importance of additional surveillance in the PACU to prevent complications further in patients’ recovery, with an added benefit of hospital cost savings.

Read the full publication in the Journal of Clinical Anesthesia.