Failed tracheal intubation in obstetrics

Dr A. Quinn, from Leeds General Infirmary in the UK, lead author of a recent BJA paper on failed tracheal intubation in obstetric anaesthesia talks us through this important UK national prospective survey. Using the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) of data collection, Dr Quinn and colleagues confirm the expected incidence of failed tracheal intubation in obstetrics at one in 224, and that the incidence of failed intubations hasn't decreased in the last 20 years, despite advances in airway techniques. Age, BMI, and a recorded Mallampati score were signi?cant independent predictors of failed tracheal intubation.