Day Surgery Discharge Criteria — FRCA Final MCQ

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EasyDay SurgeryDay Surgery Discharge CriteriaFRCA Final

A 45-year-old man (ASA I) has undergone uncomplicated arthroscopic rotator cuff repair under general anaesthesia as a planned day case. According to current UK day-surgery practice, which postoperative condition is a basic criterion for discharge?

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Correct answer: A — Pain controlled with oral analgesics

The correct answer is A. Before day-surgery discharge, postoperative pain should be adequately controlled with oral analgesia, with an appropriate take-home analgesic plan. A full meal is unnecessary; tolerating oral fluids is sufficient. Routine voiding before discharge is not required after uncomplicated general anaesthesia unless there is a specific risk of urinary retention, such as neuraxial anaesthesia, bladder instrumentation or relevant surgery. Nausea need not be completely absent: it should be controlled or acceptable for transfer home. Mobilisation should be safe and appropriate to the procedure and the patient's baseline function; there is no requirement to walk a fixed distance such as 100 metres.

Reference: Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. Day Case Surgery Clinical Guideline V1.0, sections 2.12–2.13. Valid March 2025 to March 2028. https://doclibrary-rcht.cornwall.nhs.uk/DocumentsLibrary/RoyalCornwallHospitalsTrust/Clinical/Anaesthetics/DayCaseSurgeryClinicalGuideline.pdf