Evaluating the Patient Before Anesthesia - Anesthetic Assessment and Plan

ASA Physical Status Class

ASA class provides an overall impression of the complexity of the patient's medical condition. The patient should be assigned to one of the following physical status classes:

  1. Class 1. A healthy patient (no physiologic, physical, or psychological abnormalities).
  2. Class 2. A patient with mild systemic disease without limitation of daily activities.
  3. Class 3. A patient with severe systemic disease that limits activity but is not incapacitating.
  4. Class 4. A patient with incapacitating systemic disease that is a constant threat to life.
  5. Class 5. A moribund patient not expected to survive 24 hours with or without the operation.
  6. Class 6. A brain-dead patient whose organs are being removed for donation purposes.
  7. Emergent. If the procedure is performed as an emergency, an E is added to the previously defined ASA Physical Status.

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