Couderc 1977.

Methods	RCT
Participants	Orthopaedic hospital in Paris, France 100 patients with a proximal femoral fracture (nail and plate n = 56; hemiarthroplasty n = 44) Mean age 86 years. (Inclusion criterion: 80+ years; range not stated) Male: 14% Number lost to follow‐up: not stated Operated within 24 hours after admission
Interventions	Treatment group: Five to seven hundreds mL of fluid (LR or colloid). Neuraxial block (epidural anaesthesia) in lateral decubitus consisting of single shot or continuous infusion of 0.5% bupivacaine and adrenaline with or without lidocaine (n = 50) Control group: General anaesthesia with thiopentone, pancuronium or succinylcholine, dextromoramide or methoxyflurane, nitrous oxide/oxygen (n = 50) Premedicated with hydroxyzine and atropine
Outcomes	Mortality at 3 months (cumulative) Operative hypotension ( ≥ 40 mm HG; number of patients at induction of anaesthesia) Myocardial infarction (serial preprogrammed EKGs and enzymes)
Notes	In French Length of follow‐up: 3 months Complete data for fatal myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and pulmonary embolism not provided Early mobilization and anti‐vitamin K from day 3
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Randomized study: by 'drawing of lots'
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not mentioned
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Not mentioned
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	EKG interpreted by a blinded cardiologist. Not blinded for the other outcomes
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	No loss to follow‐up
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	No failed epidural reported
Other bias	Low risk	Groups well balanced