Aldrete Score Calculator (Post-Anesthesia Recovery)
Score post-anesthesia recovery with the modified Aldrete score — activity, respiration, circulation, consciousness and oxygen saturation — total 0–10 and the usual 9-point discharge criterion.
How it works
Modified Aldrete = activity (0–2) + respiration (0–2) + circulation (0–2) + consciousness (0–2) + oxygen saturation (0–2); range 0–10. A score of 9 or more is the usual criterion for discharge from the post-anaesthesia care unit.
Aldrete and Kroulik introduced their post-anaesthesia recovery score in 1970, modelled on the Apgar score; in 1995 Aldrete replaced skin colour with pulse oximetry, creating the modified Aldrete score used in recovery rooms worldwide. Five signs are each scored 0, 1 or 2, and the score is repeated on arrival and at intervals until the patient reaches 9 or more. It assesses recovery from anaesthesia only — pain, nausea, bleeding and surgical criteria are checked separately, and day-surgery patients are often assessed for home discharge with other tools such as the PADSS.
Worked example
A patient who moves all four limbs (2) and breathes and coughs freely (2), with blood pressure 30% below baseline (1), who wakes when called (1) and needs oxygen to keep SpO₂ above 90% (1), scores 7 / 10 — below 9, so monitoring in the recovery unit continues.
Sources: Post-anesthesia recovery: a comprehensive review of the Sampe, modified Aldrete and White scoring systems (2024) · Society for Pediatric Anesthesia — Modified Aldrete Score
Frequently asked questions
What Aldrete score is needed for discharge from recovery?
A modified Aldrete score of 9 or more (out of 10) is the usual criterion for discharge from the post-anaesthesia care unit, together with local criteria for pain, nausea and the surgical site.
What changed in the modified Aldrete score?
The original 1970 score rated skin colour; the 1995 modification replaced it with oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry, which is more objective.
How often is the Aldrete score recorded?
Typically on arrival in the recovery unit and then every 15 minutes or so, according to local policy, until discharge criteria are met.
Related calculators
Clinical decision tool for education and for use by trained clinicians alongside clinical judgement — not a diagnosis and not a substitute for medical assessment. Scores validated in specific populations may not apply to every patient.