The Prevention of Surgical Site Infection in Elective Colon Surgery

Table 3

Descriptor of the six categories that currently comprise the American Society of Anesthesiology Physical Status Classification System*.

ASA score	Description of classification	Patient example
1	Normal healthy patient	A 21-year-old, well-conditioned male athlete undergoing elective groin hernia repair
2	Patient with mild systemic disease	A 46-year-old woman with mild but controlled hypertension undergoing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy
3	Patient with severe systemic disease	A 53-year-old man with insulin-dependent diabetes and coronary artery disease undergoing elective aortofemoral bypass
4	Patient with severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life	A 62-year-old woman on chronic renal hemodialysis undergoing emergency laparotomy for perforative diverticulitis
5	Moribund patient who is not expected to survive without the operation	A 58-year-old man with morbid obesity, type 2 diabetes, and shock, undergoing extensive debridement for streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis
6	Patient declared brain-dead whose organs are being removed for donor purposes	A 35-year-old male motorcycle accident victim with brain death and normal cardiac function, for multiorgan thoracic and abdominal organ donation

∗These classes are clearly subjectively determined but have been very accurate in the prediction of risk of SSI when applied by experienced anesthesiologists.