A 45-year-old patient is recovering after day-care inguinal hernia repair under general anaesthesia. The Modified Aldrete Score is 10, but the team uses the Post-Anesthesia Discharge Scoring System (PADSS) to determine home readiness. Which parameter is a MANDATORY criterion for discharge according to PADSS?

• A Pain controlled with oral analgesics ✓
• B Voiding spontaneously
• C Tolerating oral fluids
• D Absence of surgical drain output

Explanation

PADSS assesses home readiness using five parameters: vital signs, activity, nausea and vomiting, pain, and surgical bleeding. Pain must be controlled by oral analgesics to achieve the maximum score. Tolerating oral fluids and voiding are not mandatory components of PADSS, though voiding is often required for specific surgeries like hernia repair under spinal anaesthesia.

Reference: Morgan and Mikhail's Clinical Anesthesiology, 6th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.