Preoperative assessment: ASA class for morbid obesity: practice question

A Anaesthesia question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anaesthesia · Preoperative assessment: ASA class for morbid obesity

Sample item

A 35-year-old woman with a BMI of 42 kg/m2, normal blood pressure, normal glucose and no other illness is listed for elective surgery. Which ASA physical status is usually assigned?

AASA IIIBASA IICASA IDASA IV

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. ASA III

In the ASA examples, morbid obesity with a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or more is classed as a severe systemic disease, ASA III. Obesity with a BMI of 30 to 40 is ASA II.

Option by option

A. ASA III (correct)
Correct. A BMI of 40 or above is listed as an ASA III example even without other disease.
B. ASA II
Class II covers obesity with a BMI of 30 to 40; this patient is above that range.
C. ASA I
Class I is a healthy, non-smoking patient with minimal alcohol use, and is not met at this BMI.
D. ASA IV
Class IV needs a constant threat to life, such as recent infarction or sepsis, which is absent.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is A, ASA III. In the ASA examples, morbid obesity with a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or more is classed as a severe systemic disease, ASA III.

Why is "ASA II" not the answer?

Class II covers obesity with a BMI of 30 to 40; this patient is above that range.

Why is "ASA I" not the answer?

Class I is a healthy, non-smoking patient with minimal alcohol use, and is not met at this BMI.

Why is "ASA IV" not the answer?

Class IV needs a constant threat to life, such as recent infarction or sepsis, which is absent.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Preoperative assessment: ASA class for morbid obesity in Anaesthesia. Obesity with a BMI of 30 to 40 is ASA II.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Preoperative assessment: ASA class for morbid obesity?

Make a table of each agent, its key advantage and its main side effect. Then use the flashcards and the other Anaesthesia questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.