Postoperative undertriage of high-acuity patients leads to higher rates of do-not-resuscitate orders and respiratory failure.

• Patients on standard floors had a 7.2% transition to DNR status versus 2.8% in ICU.
• Unplanned intubation rates were 12.1% in undertriaged patients compared to 7.1% in ICU counterparts.

Surgeons should prioritize optimal triage to prevent adverse outcomes and facilitate better patient management post-surgery.

• In-hospital mortality was 7.0% among undertriaged patients versus just 1.1% in ICU.