Protocol, Guidelines and Handbook


Statistical Analysis Plans

AJAX (Dutch), ECAR (French) and IMPROVE trials agree an individual patient meta-analysis: even better evidence for management of ruptured AAAs.  Read more in the Individual Patient Data meta-analysis statistical analysis plan (pdf)


Publications 

Three primary outcome papers have been published, for 30-day, 1-year and 3-year results:

Six other papers have been published, four from the IMPROVE trial only and two from collaborative projects with the other European trials AJAX and ECAR

  1. IMPROVE trial investigators.  Observations from the IMPROVE trial concerning the clinical care of patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysmBr J Surg 2014, 101, Issue 3, pages 216–224
  2. IMPROVE trial investigators. The effect of aortic morphology on peri-operative mortality of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysmEur Heart J 2015; 36: 1328-1334
  3. Powell JT, Sweeting MJ, Ulug P, Thompson MM, Hinchliffe RJ, IMPROVE Trial Investigators. Re-interventions After Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Report From the IMPROVE Randomised Trial., Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg (2018) 55, 625e632
  4. Sweeting MJ et al.  Value of risk scores in the decision to palliate patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, BJS 2018 (in press)
  5. Sweeting MJ, Balm R, Desgranges P, Ulug P, Powell JT.  Individual-patient meta-analysis of three randomized trials comparing endovascular versus open repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm; Br J Surg 2015;102(10):1229-39
  6. Sweeting MJ, Ulug P, Powell JT, Desgranges P, Balm R, Ruptured Aneurysm Trialists. Ruptured Aneurysm Trials: The Importance of Longer-term Outcomes and Meta-analysis for 1-year MortalityEur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 201550(3):297-302
  7. An editorial in Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surgery 2014  14(4): 333-4

Finally, a comment about flexible consent processes for emergency trials from the Chief Investigator and Trial Manager has been published in the British Medical Journal:

  • Powell JT, Ulug P, Flexible consent BMJ 2015‌; 351:h4608