[Avoidable anesthetic complications and their prevention].

Anesthesia-related mortality in France is being studied in a survey that began in 1996 using the United Kingdom survey as a model. We describe here the deaths reported in these two surveys and discuss the management strategies involved. These cases point out the risk involved with aspiration syndrome, difficult intubation, cardiac toxicity of local anesthetics, total spinal anesthesia, and respiratory depression. The methodology of the French maternal mortality survey provides data enabling the institution of preventive measures. Specific actions, some of which would require legislation, are proposed to improve maternal safety.