Advances in anesthesia recovery assessment tools used in the post-anesthesia care unit

The lack of a globally standardized tool for assessing patient recovery in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) leads to inconsistent discharge practices and complicates clinical decision-making. This narrative review synthesizes the evolution, core characteristics, advantages, and limitations of the major PACU recovery assessment tools developed worldwide. By providing a comparative analysis and linking these tools to key perioperative outcomes where evidence exists, this work offers an evidence-based framework to guide the selection of appropriate instruments in clinical practice. Furthermore, it critically appraises the current evidence base to inform the future adaptation and development of standardized recovery assessment protocols that are both scientifically rigorous and contextually feasible, with a particular emphasis on addressing the needs of perioperative care settings in China.