Saito 1998.

Methods	Treatment allocation: Women randomly assigned to receive spinal or epidural anaesthesia. No other details of methodology given. Allocation concealment: No details given. Documentation of exclusions: No exclusions. Blinding of outcome assessment: Not mentioned. Losses to follow up: None.
Participants	Inclusion criteria: 31 women undergoing caesarean delivery. All were ASA 1 or 2. None were in labour but 3 women had ruptured membranes. Exclusion criteria: None mentioned. Number lost to follow up: None.
Interventions	Spinal anaesthesia: 25 G needle inserted in the lateral position at L4‐5, 2 ml hyperbaric 5% dibucaine injected. The operating room table was then tilted to achieve block to T4. Epidural anaesthesia: 17 G Tuohy needle inserted in the lateral position with the paramedian approach at L2‐3 using loss of resistance to air. 20 ml 2% mepivacaine subsequently injected as a bolus through the catheter without a test dose. Sensory block to cold and pinprick was evaluated 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes after induction of anaesthesia. IV fluids were given "as necessary to maintain normal hemodynamic values" but "patients in both groups were given comparable amounts of intravenous fluids". Ephedrine (5 mg boluses) was administered to maintain systolic arterial pressure > 90 mmHg.
Outcomes	Number of women failing to achieve adequate anaesthesia to begin surgery (block up to T4) was recorded. Number of women requiring treatment (ephedrine) for hypotension was recorded. Time taken for surgery to commence was reported but not analysed because the standard deviation was not reported.
Notes	Japan.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	B ‐ Unclear