Abstract
Background: No solid evidence exists on optimal oxygenation targets in intensive care patients. The handling oxygenation targets in the intensive care unit (HOT-ICU) trial assesses the effects of a targeted arterial oxygen tension of 8 vs 12 kPa on 90-day mortality in acutely admitted adult patients with hypoxaemic respiratory failure. This article describes the detailed statistical analysis plan for the predefined outcomes and supplementary analyses in the HOT-ICU trial.Methods: The trial will include 2928 patients to be able to detect or reject a true 20% relative risk reduction in the primary outcome of 90-day all-cause mortality with an α of 5% and a β of 10%. Analyses of the primary and secondary outcomes will be conducted according to the intention-to-treat principle and adjusted for stratification variables. The primary outcome and dichotomous secondary outcomes will be analysed using a generalised linear model with a log-link and binomial error distribution. For the primary outcome, a 95% confidence interval (CI) not including 1.00 for the risk ratio will be considered statistically significant. Continuous secondary outcomes will be analysed using a generalised linear model or nonparametric test. CIs adjusted for the multiple secondary outcomes not including the null effect will be considered statistically significant. One planned interim analysis has been conducted.Conclusions: The HOT-ICU trial and the pre-planned statistical analyses are designed to minimise bias and produce high quality data on the effects of a lower vs a higher oxygenation target throughout ICU admission in acutely admitted adult patients with hypoxaemic respiratory failure.Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03174002, date of registration: June 2, 2017. European clinical trials database, EudraCT number 2017-000632-34. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]