Clarification of anesthesia standards and guidelines.

Understanding and complying with the guidelines of the American Society of Anesthesiologists will help ensure high-quality patient care, increase levels of patient safety, and minimize medico-legal risk. The author discusses important standards and guidelines for the administration of general anesthesia and sedation/analgesia in the office-based setting and compares the requirements of the different accrediting organizations. (Aesthetic Surg J 2001;21:573-575.).