Toggle Main Menu Toggle Search

Open Access padlockePrints

Aspirin for Venous Ulcers: Randomised Trial (AVURT): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Gerard Stansby

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.


Abstract

Background: Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the commonest cause of leg ulceration, affecting 1 in 100 adults. There is a significant health burden associated with VLUs - it is estimated that the cost of treatment for 1 ulcer is up to (sic)1300 per year in the NHS. The mainstay of treatment is with graduated compression bandaging; however, treatment is often prolonged and up to one quarter of venous leg ulcers do not heal despite standard care. Two previous trials have suggested that low-dose aspirin, as an adjunct to standard care, may hasten healing, but these trials were small and of poor quality. Aspirin is an inexpensive, widely used medication but its safety and efficacy in the treatment of VLUs remains to be established.Methods/Design: AVURT is a phase II randomised double blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled efficacy trial. The primary objective is to examine whether aspirin, in addition to standard care, is effective in patients with chronic VLUs (i.e. over 6 weeks in duration or a history of VLU). Secondary objectives include feasibility and safety of aspirin in this population. A target of 100 participants, identified from community leg ulcer clinics and hospital clinics, will be randomised to receive either 300 mg of aspirin once daily or placebo. All participants will receive standard care with compression therapy. The primary outcome will be time to healing of the reference ulcer. Follow-up will occur for a maximum of 27 weeks. The primary analysis will use a Cox proportional hazards model to compare time to healing using the principles of intention-to-treat. Secondary outcomes will include ulcer size, pain evaluation, compliance and adverse events.Discussion: The AVURT trial will investigate the efficacy and safety of aspirin as a treatment for VLU and will inform on the feasibility of proceeding to a larger phase III study. This study will address the paucity of information currently available regarding aspirin therapy to treat VLU.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Tilbrook H, Forsythe RO, Rolfe D, Clark L, Bland M, Buckley H, Chetter I, Cook L, Dumville J, Gabe R, Harding K, Layton A, Lindsay E, McDaid C, Moffatt C, Phillips C, Stansby G, Vowden P, Williams L, Torgerson D, Hinchliffe RJ

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Trials

Year: 2015

Volume: 16

Online publication date: 10/11/2015

Acceptance date: 29/10/2015

ISSN (electronic): 1745-6215

Publisher: BioMed Central Ltd.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-1039-9

DOI: 10.1186/s13063-015-1039-9


Altmetrics

Altmetrics provided by Altmetric


Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
13/87/08NHS National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme (NIHR HTA)

Share