In 1946 Curtis Lester Mendelson wrote an article entitled "The aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs during obstetric anaesthesia", in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.1 The finding of 66 cases out of 43,000 pregnancies equates to an incidence of about 1 in 660 pregnancies. Today the incidence is much lower, with a 1990-2003 review reporting a reduction in incidence from 4.2% to 0.46% over that time period,2 but it still represents the most common cause of maternal anaesthetic death. Prevention of aspiration remains the most important aim and there appears to be consensus around the world that preventative measures should be used more.3 4 5
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/doctor/emergency-medicine/mendelsons-syndrome