Limberi 2003.

Methods	RCT Approved by the ethics committee and written informed consent obtained Setting: Greece Funding: unspecified
Participants	50 patients with coronary artery disease scheduled for elective upper abdominal surgery for non‐vascular disease Exclusion criteria were preoperative electrocardiogram that interfered with accurate diagnosis of myocardial ischaemia (bundle branch block, left ventricular hypertrophy with strain pattern, ventricular ectasia), valvular heart disease, prior digoxin therapy, contraindication to insertion of an epidural catheter, localized infection, septicaemia, preoperative coagulopathy, neurological disease) and partial oxygen pressure < 60 mm Hg
Interventions	Treatment group: thoracic or lumbar (T12‐L1 or L1‐L2) epidural analgesia tested with 2 mL of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine 5 mcg/mL, followed by 7 to 15 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine for a sensory level from T4 to L5 at 20 minutes before surgical incision and morphine 2 mg at skin closure (n = 25) Control group: IV morphine (n = 25) General anaesthesia for all participants
Outcomes	Pain: Epidural group had better pain control
Notes	No outcome of interest available at our selected time points. VAS scores provided are computed scores for 24‐hour periods. Study authors contacted on 23 February 2016. Data are no longer available
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	"table of random numbers"
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not mentioned
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not mentioned
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not mentioned
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	No loss to follow‐up
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	All results reported
Other bias	Low risk	Groups well balanced