历史上首次对恢复室描述是在1801年。另一个较早(1863年)的描述来自Florence Nightingale: """"It is not uncommon, in small country hospitals, to have a recess or small room leading from the operating theater in which the patients remain until they have recovered, or at least recovered from the immediate effects of the operation"""". 1873美国Massachusetts General Hospital建立了麻醉恢复室(post-anesthesia recovery unit, PARU or post-anesthesia care unit, PACU ).