French and foreign recommendations for the practice of anaesthesia and intensive care

This article reviews the development of Standards, Recommendations and Guid elines for practice in anaesthesiology in France and other countries. The F rench society for anaesthesia and intensive care (Sfar) has published, sinc e 1989, 11 basic Standards : 1) Recommendations for the monitoring of patie nts during anaesthesia (June 1989, amended on January 1994) [APSF Newslette r, Summer 1990, page 22]; 2) Recommendations for postanaesthesia monitoring and care (September 1990); 3) Recommendations for preanaesthesia care (Sep tember 1991); 4) Recommendations for anaesthetic apparatus and checking bef ore use (January 1994); 5) Recommendations for the equipment of anaesthesia working places (January 1995); 6) Recommendations for the tasks of the nur se anaesthetist (January 1995); 7) Recommendations for hygiene standards in anaesthesia practice (December 1997); 8) Recommendations for outpatient an aesthesia (September 1990); 9) Recommendations for the practice of obstetri cal analgesia (September 1992); 10) Recommendations for interhospital physi cian-accompanied transfers (December 1992); 11) Recommendations for intraho spital physician-accompanied transfers (February 1994). Additionally the Sf ar produced or coproduced 9 Experts' conferences, 15 Consensus conferences and 5 Guidelines for clinical practice. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.