BACKGROUND: For most patients, recovery from anesthesia is a smooth uneventful. But for some, recovery can be life threatening. To prevent this, adequate and prompt evaluation of patients on recovery state is essential. Activity, respiration, circulation, awareness, and color are comprehensively assessed by PAR score. So we performed this clinical study to compare ongoing changes in PAR score and the effects of age, physical status, operation site and operation time on PAR score were evaluated. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-four patients (ASA 1, 2) undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia were evaluated in our recovery room. They were anesthetized with enflurane or isoflurane, and nitrous oxide, and were transferred to the recovery room when SpO2 was more than 97% and there was no supplemental oxygen during transport. Once there, O2 5 l/min was administered via a face mask to all the patients. Assessment of each patient's PAR score was made at ten-minute intervals by the same anesthesiologist. RESULTS: Emergence from anesthesia was significantly dependent on patient's age, preoperative physical status but not on operation site and time. PAR score was significantly increased according to PAR-stay time regardless of age, physical status, operation site or time. CONCLUSION: In evaluating the postanesthetic recovery state, it seems to be important to consider patient's age and physical status.