ASA PHYSICAL STATUS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM *

ASA I Patients are considered to be normal and healthy. Patients are able to walk up one flight of stairs or two level city blocks without distress. Little or no anxiety. Little or no risk. This classification represents a "green flag" for treatment.

ASA II Patients have mild to moderate systemic disease or are healthy ASA I patients who demonstrate a more extreme anxiety and fear toward dentistry. Patients are able to walk up one flight of stairs or two level city blocks, but will have to stop after completion of the exercise because of distress. Minimal risk during treatment. This classification represents a "yellow flag" for treatment. Examples: History of well-controlled disease states including non-insulin dependent diabetes, prehypertension, epilepsy, asthma, or thyroid conditions; ASA I with a respiratory condition, pregnancy, and/or active allergies. May need medical consultation.

Note: Patients who demonstrate a more extreme anxiety and fear toward dentistry have a baseline of ASA II even before their medical history is considered; that situation raises the classification system.

ASA III Patients have severe systemic disease that limits activity, but is not incapacitating. Patients are able to walk up one flight of stairs or two level city blocks, but will have to stop enroute because of distress. If dental care is indicated, stress reduction protocol and other treatment modifications are indicated. This classification represents a "yellow flag" for treatment. Examples: History of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or cerebrovascular accident, congestive heart failure over six months ago, slight chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and controlled insulin dependent diabetes or hypertension. Will need medical consultation.

ASA IV Patients have severe systemic disease that limits activity and is a constant threat to life. Patients are unable to walk up one flight of stairs or two level city blocks. Distress is present even at rest.

Patients pose significant risk since patients in this category have a severe medical problem of greater importance to the patient than the planned dental treatment. Whenever possible, elective dental care should be postponed until such time as the patient's medical condition has improved to at least an ASA III classification. This classification represents a "red flag" a warning flag indicating that the risk involved in treating the patient is too great to allow elective care to proceed. Examples: History of unstable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident within the last six months, severe congestive heart failure, moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy, or thyroid condition. If emergency treatment is needed, medical consultation is indicated.

ASA V Patients are moribund and are not expected to survive more than 24 hours with or without an operation. These patients are almost always hospitalized, terminally ill patients. Elective dental treatment is definitely contraindicated; however, emergency care, in the realm of palliative treatment may be necessary. This classification represents a red flag" for dental care and any care is done in a hospital situation.

ASA VI Clinically dead patients being maintained for harvesting of organs.

ASA-E: Emergency operation of any variety;used to modify one of the above classifications, i.e., ASA III-E.

* It is important to note that status can change as medical history changes; adapted by Margaret J. Fehrenbach, RDH, MS, from the American Society of Anesthesiologists as well as well as Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office (Malamed, Mosby), and included in Saunders Review of Dental Hygiene (Fehrenbach and Weiner, Elsevier). See Wikipedia for more information.

Updated 1/2/2012

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Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) is a term used in healthcare to refer to daily self-care activities within an individual's place of residence, in outdoor environments, or both. Health professionals routinely refer to the ability or inability to perform ADLs as a measurement of the functional status of a person, particularly in regards to people with disabilities and theelderly.[1] ADLs are defined as "the things we normally do...such as feeding ourselves, bathing, dressing, grooming, work, homemaking, and leisure."[2] A number of national surveys collect data on the ADL status of the U.S. population.[3] While basic categories of ADLs have been suggested, what specifically constitutes a particular ADL in a particular environment for a particular person may vary.

Basic ADLs (BADLs) consist of self-care tasks, including:[4] Personal hygiene and grooming Dressing and undressing Self feeding Functional transfers (Getting from bed to wheelchair, getting onto or off of toilet, etc.) Bowel and bladder management Ambulation (Walking without use of use of an assistive device (walker, cane, or crutches) or using a wheelchair) [edit]