What obstetricians should know about anesthesia care standards

In recent years the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has adopted several practice standards that relate directly to the practice of obstetric anesthesia. In addition, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and ASA defined, in a joint statement, both organizations' views on optimal goals for anesthesia care in obstetrics. Ostensibly, those documents and a number of others promulgated by the two professional organizations enhance the safety of patient care. Knowledge of the documents is equally important to the obstetrician and the anesthesiologist since care rendered to the parturient by the two specialists is closely intertwined, and so are their respective fates in case of legal action.