Methods	Regional anaesthesia versus general anaesthesia
Participants	82 patients ≧ 50 years of age undergoing lower limb revascularization
Interventions	Lumbar epidural anaesthesia (n = 37): 1.5% lidocaine with epinephrine for a sensory level at T6 for the surgery and 0.125% of bupivacaine with fentanyl 3 mcg/mL as an infusion in some participants General anaesthesia (n = 42): with thiopental, fentanyl, inhalational and neuromuscular blocking agents. IV opiates after the surgery
Outcomes	Mortality up to one year. Data provided for in‐hospital time (taken as zero to 30 days) and for zero to 12 months Myocardial infarction: defined as elevated creatine phosphokinase‐MB (CPK‐MB) in blood with new Q‐waves on the ECG or persistent electrocardiographic abnormalities and a diagnosis corroborated by an independent cardiologist Pneumonia: new infiltrate on chest x‐ray with temperature greater than 38 ºC, elevated white blood cell count and positive sputum culture.
Notes