The patient recovering from general anesthesia must be watched constantly until he has reacted. Patients must be observed to see that the airway is clear at all times. When necessary, patients are initially managed with ventilators that inflate the lungs mechanically through endotracheal tubes. Changes in breathing pattern, eye movements, lacrimation, and muscle tone are indicators for the depth of anesthesia. Breathing patterns are the most sensitive of these.
Vomiting continues to be a common and serious hazard during recovery from a general anesthetic.
Aspiration can be averted during vomiting by turning the head to the side. The patient often has a nasogastric tube in place to aspirate the gastric contents mechanically from the stomach. If significant aspiration of vomitus into the lungs is suspected, an immediate cleansing bronchoscopy may avoid serious aspiration pneumonia. In addition to the physical effects of general anesthesia, the emotional and psychologic aspects must also be considered. During recovery from anesthesia noise should be kept at a minimum, as all sounds may be exaggerated to the patient.