The international surgical journal with global reach

This is the Scientific Surgery Archive, which contains all randomized clinical trials in surgery that have been identified by searching the top 50 English language medical journal issues since January 1998. Compiled by Jonothan J. Earnshaw, former Editor-in-Chief, BJS

Effectiveness of a national quality improvement programme to improve survival after emergency abdominal surgery (EPOCH): a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial. Lancet 2019; 393: 2213-2221.

Published: 2nd August 2019

Authors: Peden CJ, Stephens T, Martin G, Kahan BC, Thomson A, Rivett K et al.

Conclusion

Over 15,000 patients were included in this study done in 93 NHS hospitals. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality, which was 16 per cent in both groups: hazard ratio 1.11, 95 per cent confidence interval 0.96 to 1.28.

Pubmed Link