Physical state and anesthetic risk in dogs and cats: Review

Abstract

Great value has been given to anesthesia since its discovery. A fact that has revolutionized several medical areas, including Veterinary Medicine. In order for anesthesia to be conducted adequately and satisfactorily, a prior evaluation of the patient to be submitted to surgery, such as a review of the clinical history, physical examination, complementary exams and, finally, a risk assessment and physical condition is required. It is important to direct the patient to an anesthetic protocol appropriate to their state of health, as well as to predict the prognosis of the same. This classification of risk and physical status, adopted by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), is accepted and used worldwide by human and veterinary doctors, and is widely discussed in scientific works involving anesthesiology, justifying its great importance, being the objective of this review.