Vester-Andersen M, et al. - Researchers undertook this population-based cohort study, utilizing prospectively gathered data, to examine the link between epidural analgesia and mortality in emergency abdominal surgery. Excluding appendectomies, adults undergoing emergency abdominal laparotomy or laparoscopy at 13 Danish hospitals, between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2010, were included in this study. Overall 4,920 patients were included. The deaths of 1,134 (23.0%) were reported within 90 days. The crude and adjusted link between epidural analgesia and 90-day mortality was OR 0.99 (95%CI: 0.86-1.15) and OR 0.80 (95%CI: 0.67-0.94), respectively. The corresponding values for 30-day mortality were OR 0.90 (95% CI: 0.76-1.06) and OR 0.75 (95% CI: 0.62-0.90), respectively. Participants experienced no serious adverse events. In the adjusted analysis, a reduced risk of mortality was observed in relation to the use of epidural analgesia perioperatively among adult patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery.