An audit review of 16,065 patients undergoing operative procedures under general anaesthesia was carried out to examine the relationship between early postoperative respiratory complications and the level of consciousness of patients on arrival in the recovery room. In patients aged over ten years, the incidence of respiratory complications was significantly (P less than 0.005) related to the level of consciousness independent of ASA grade or age. Since the level of consciousness of patients arriving in the recovery room could be modified by changes to anaesthetic practice it is concluded that a significant reduction in respiratory complications might be possible if anaesthetists used general anaesthetic techniques which returned patients awake to the recovery room.