Standards and Guidelines

COVID-19 Position Statements and Guidance

Find ASA COVID-19 statements, recommendations and resources in response to the pandemic.

Standards

These standards apply to anesthesia care and basic monitoring and are intended to encourage quality patient care.

• Basic Standards for PreAnesthesia Care
• Standards for Basic Anesthetic Monitoring
• Standards for Postanesthesia Care

Practice Guidelines

These practice guidelines are evidence-based and developed using a rigorous process that combines scientific and consensus-based evidence.

• Acute Pain Management in the Perioperative Setting
• Central Venous Access
• Chronic Pain Management
• Management of the Difficult Airway
• Obstetric Anesthesia
• Perioperative Blood Management
• Perioperative Management of Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• Practice Guidelines for Moderate Procedural Sedation and Analgesia
• Postanesthetic Care
• Preoperative Fasting and the Use of Pharmacologic Agents to Reduce the Risk of Pulmonary Aspiration
• Prevention, Detection and Management of Respiratory Depression Associated with Neuraxial Opioids Administration
• Pulmonary Artery Catheterization
• Transesophageal Echocardiography

Advisories & Alerts

The practice parameters provide guidance in the form of requirements, recommendations or other information to improve decision-making and promote quality outcomes for the practice of anesthesiology.

• Anesthetic Care Related to Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Intraoperative Awareness and Brain Function Monitoring
  
• Perioperative Management of Patients with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices
• Perioperative Management of Patients with Coronary Artery Stents
• Perioperative Visual Loss Associated with Spine Surgery
• Preanesthesia Evaluation
• Prevention and Management of Operating Room Fires
• Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Complications Associated with Neuraxial Techniques
• Prevention of Perioperative Peripheral Neuropathies

Statements

Tap into the expertise of ASA by reviewing these opinions, beliefs and medical judgments developed by the committee members.

• Distinguishing Monitored Anesthesia Care from Moderate Sedation Analgesia
• Policy Statement on Practice Parameters
• Position on Monitored Anesthesia Care
• Pregnancy Testing Prior to Anesthesia and Surgery
• Statement Comparing Anesthesiologist Assistant and Nurse Anesthetist Education and Practice
• Statement on Creating Labels of Pharmaceuticals for Use in Anesthesiology
• Statement of Principles Trauma Anesthesiology
• Statement on Administration of Medications
• Statement on Compensation Equity Among Anesthesiologists
• Statement on Security of Medications in the Operating Room
• Statement of Support for Respiratory Therapists (RTs)
• Statement on Anesthetic Care during Interventional Pain Procedures for Adults
• Statement Comparing Anesthesiologist Assistant and Nurse Anesthetist
• Statement on Conflict of Interest
• Statement on Controlled Organ Donation After Circulatory Death
• Statement on Developing Policy for Infection Prevention Related to Surgical Attire
• Statement on Distractions
• Statement on Documentation of Anesthesia Care
• Statement on Drug Concentration Standardization
• Statement on Economic Credentialing
• Statement on Fatigue
• Statement of Granting Privileges for Administration of Moderate Sedation to Practitioners
• Statement on Granting Privileges to Nonanesthesiologist Physicians Supervising Deep Sedation
• Statement on Intravascular Catheterization Procedures
• Statement on Nonoperating Room Anesthetizing Locations
• Statement on Palliative Care
• Statement on Personal Leave
• Statement on Physician Nonparticipation in Legally Authorized Executions
• Statement on Practice Recommendations for Pediatric Anesthesia
• Statement on Principles for Alarm Management for Anesthesia Professionals
• Statement on Privileging for Chronic Pain Management
• Statement on Professionalism
• Statement on Qualifications of Anesthesia Providers in the Office Based Setting
• Statement on Regional Anesthesia
• Statement on Reporting Postoperative Pain Procedures in Conjunction with Anesthesia
• Statement on Respiratory Monitoring During Endoscopic Procedures
• Statement on Resuming Breastfeeding after Anesthesia
• Statement on Safe Use of Propofol
• Statement on Sedation and Anesthesia Administration in Dental Office Based Settings
• Statement on Smoking Cessation
• Statement on Standard Practice for Avoidance of Medication Errors in Neuraxial Anesthesia
• Statement on Standard Practice for Infection Prevention and Control Instruments for Tracheal Intubation
• Statement on the Aging Anesthesiologist
• Statement on the Anesthesia Care Team
• Statement on the Ethical Considerations with Drug Shortages
• Statement on the Interoperability of Medical Devices
• Statement on the Role of Registered Nurses in the Management of Continuous Regional Analgesia
• Statement on the Surgical Care Improvement Project
• Statement on Transesophageal Echocardiography
• Statement Regarding Respiratory Care Practitioner Credentialing
• The Medical Necessity of Anesthesiology Services American Society of Anesthesiologists' Position Statement

Expert Consensus Documents

These include policies, positions, principles, suggestions, and definitions to promote the practice of anesthesiology.

• Advisory on Granting Privileges for Deep Sedation to Non Anesthesiologist Physicians
• ASA Physical Status Classification System
• Continuum of Depth of Sedation: Definition of General Anesthesia and Levels of Sedation/Analgesia
• Definition of Immediately Available When Medically Directing
• Distinguishing Monitored Anesthesia Care from Moderate Sedation Analgesia
• Ethical Guidelines for the Anesthesia Care of Patients with Do-Not-Resuscitate orders
• Guidelines for Ambulatory Anesthesia and Surgery
• Guidelines for Delineation of Clinical Privileges in Anesthesiology
• Guidelines for Director of Liver Transplant Anesthesia
• Guidelines for the Ethical Practice of Anesthesiology
• Guidelines for Expert Witness Qualifications and Testimony
• Guidelines for Minimally Acceptable Continuing Medical Education in Anesthesiology
• Guidelines for Office Based Anesthesia
• Guidelines for Neuraxial Anesthesia in Obstetrics
• Guidelines for Patient Care in Anesthesiology
  
• Guidelines for Surgical Attire
• Guiding Principles for Management of Performance Measures by the American Society of Anesthesiologists
• Nonobstetric Surgery During Pregnancy
• Optimal Goals for Anesthesia Care in Obstetrics
• Outcome Indicators for Office Based and Ambulatory Surgery
• Protocol for Supporting a Member's Right to Practice
• Principles for Quality Incentive Programs in Anesthesiology
• The Principles of Critical Care Medicine