This report analyses the rate, predisposing factors, causes and outcome of 119 cardiac arrests related (totally or partially) to anaesthesia which were collected in France by a national prospective survey performed between 1978 and 1982. The overall rate of cardiac arrests occurring during anaesthesia and recovery was 1 per 1665 anaesthetics, resulting in death, before the 24th postoperative hour, in 56% of cases, i.e. 1 per 2900 anaesthetics. Approximately a quarter of cardiac arrests occurred during induction, another quarter during maintenance and a half during recovery from anaesthesia. The first were mainly related to anaesthesia and had the lowest mortality rate. The last were mainly related to unrecognized postoperative respiratory depression and resulted in the highest mortality. Cardiac arrests were less frequent in private hospitals than in teaching hospitals but the mortality rate was higher.