The Use of Epidural Analgesia in a New Zealand Tertiary Hospital before and after Publication of the Master Study

We audited the total number of perioperative epidural techniques performed at Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand, for three years, before and after The Lancet published the MASTER Anaesthesia Trial in 2002. We also looked specifically at the number of epidural anaesthetic and analgesic techniques performed in combination with general anaesthesia for colonic surgery over the same period. In both cases we found a statistically significant fall in epidural rate in the years after the publication (P<0.001). A subsequent survey of local specialist anaesthetists, who have worked throughout this period, revealed the majority (75%) were knowingly performing fewer epidural techniques and that the findings of the MASTER Anaesthesia Trial had influenced their decisions.