A survey of airway management during induction of general anaesthesia in obstetrics: are the recommendations in the confidential enquiries into maternal deaths being implemented?

Recommendations were made in the last two triennial reports on maternal deaths regarding airway management prior to obstetric general anaesthesia. Forty-four hospitals were surveyed to determine departmental practice. Our survey suggests that obstetric anaesthetic practice varies widely between departments and several of the recommendations in the above reports have yet to be implemented.