What Are the Usual Monitoring Items Following a Surgical Procedure?

Post-operative monitoring typically involves a range of procedures, primarily aimed at understanding the functional status of the body and changes in the patient's condition following surgery. This allows for the timely adoption of reasonable nursing measures. Vital sign monitoring is generally required after surgery, with blood pressure, respiratory rate, and pulse measured and recorded every 30-60 minutes until the patient's basic condition stabilizes. What are the specific contents of post-operative monitoring? Let's take a closer look.

1. Vital Sign Monitoring: Blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate should be measured and recorded every 30 to 60 minutes until the patient's condition stabilizes. If the condition cannot be stabilized, the patient should be transferred to the intensive care unit for continuous electrocardiographic monitoring and observation of physiological indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen partial pressure, and respiratory rate. Timely suction of sputum is required for patients with tracheal intubation.

2. Fluid Monitoring: For major surgeries, detailed records of fluid intake, blood loss, urine output, and various drainage volumes should be kept to assess fluid balance and guide fluid replacement. For critically ill patients, hourly urine output should be observed.

3. Central Venous Pressure Monitoring: Measuring central venous pressure can reflect the heart's pumping capacity, venous return, and vascular tone. It is also an important indicator for controlling the amount and speed of intravenous infusion. Central venous pressure monitoring should be performed in the early postoperative period for longer and more complex surgeries. For patients with cardiopulmonary dysfunction, Swan-Ganz catheters can be used to monitor pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and mixed venous blood oxygen partial pressure.

4. Microcirculation Monitoring: Monitoring microcirculation can help predict organ blood supply and oxygen supply, allowing for timely and effective adjustment of treatment plans and facilitating postoperative recovery. The state of microcirculation can be judged by observing body temperature, urine output, and the color and filling time of the periphery of the mouth and extremities such as the nail bed. When conditions permit, gastric mucosal surface pH can be measured for determination. The state of microcirculation is influenced by factors such as mean arterial pressure, metabolic factors, autonomic nervous balance, peripheral vascular resistance, and compliance.

5. Other Monitoring: Monitoring should be tailored to the specific type of illness and surgical procedure. For craniocerebral surgeries, intracranial pressure and level of consciousness should be monitored. For pancreatic surgeries, blood sugar levels should be regularly monitored. For vascular diseases, postoperative monitoring of peripheral circulation status is essential.