Failed tracheal intubation in obstetrics: a 6-year review in a UK region

In the South Thames (West) region of the United Kingdom, during a 6-year pe riod from 1993 to 1998, there was a significant increase in the Caesarean s ection rate accompanied by a significant decrease in the use of general ana esthesia for operative delivery. During this time, there were 36 failed tra cheal intubations occurring in 8970 obstetric general anaesthetics (inciden ce 1/249). There was no significant difference in the incidence of failed t racheal intubation in each of the six years. In 24 of the 26 cases for whic h the patients' notes could be examined, there was either no recording of p re-operative assessment, a failure to follow an accepted protocol for faile d tracheal intubation, or no follow-up.