Statistical Analysis Plan for Balanced versus Saline trialists living systematic review individual patient and aggregated data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (BEST-Living Study)

Purpose The Balanced versus Saline Trialists (BEST) -Living Study is an ongoing living systematic review with aggregated and individual patient data meta-analysis (IPDMA) from eligible trials that assessed the effects of using balanced solutions compared with saline in critically ill adults. We herein present the search strategies for the BEST-Living Study and provide details for future analysis and presentation. Methods The report will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Individual Participant Data (PRISMA-IPD) recommendations. Search was performed in Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). The primary endpoint will be hospital mortality, which will be analyzed using a Bayesian hierarchical model. Secondary endpoints include nurvival until longest follow-up available, use of kidney replacement therapy, and intensive care unit and hospital length-of-stay. Details on the analysis plan are provided in this statistical analysis plan. Conclusion The study will provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive assessment using the best evidence available for the use of balanced solutions in critically ill patients. Approvals The undersigned and all authors have reviewed this plan and approve it as final. They find it to be consistent with the requirements of the protocol as it applies to their respective areas. They also find it to be compliant with ICH-E9 principles and, in particular, confirm that this analysis plan was final prior to any analysis of the aggregated data. View this table: ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This study is not externally funded but received institutional support by HCor-Hospital do Coracao, Brazil and The George Institute for Global Health, Australia. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors