Which ASA class is used for a patient who is moribund and not expected to survive without the operation?

• A. ASA 3
• B. ASA 5
• C. ASA 6
• D. ASA 2

Answer: (B)

The main idea is the ASA physical status classification, which rates preoperative health from healthy to brain-dead donors. The description “moribund and not expected to survive without the operation” fits the most severe category, ASA class five. This category is specifically for patients who are near death and whose survival depends on the urgent or life-saving operation. The other states describe less severe conditions: mild systemic disease (ASA two), severe systemic disease that isn’t immediately life-threatening at rest (ASA three), and a patient who is in a constant threat to life due to severe disease (ASA four). The brain-dead donor category (ASA six) is for patients who are dead and only considered for organ donation, not for someone undergoing surgery to save life. If the situation is an emergency, an emergency modifier (often E) may be added, but the fundamental classification for a moribund patient is five.