AVERT II

Methods	Randomised controlled trial of very early and intensive mobilisation versus standard care Computer generated blocked randomisation, stratified by stroke severity and clinical site, opaque envelopes Blinded outcome assessment, patients blind to group
Participants	Melbourne, Australia 71 participants: 38 intervention, 33 control Mean age: 74.7 years 53.5% male Mean NIHSS 10 Inclusion criteria: acute stroke patients admitted within 24 hours of symptom onset to a stroke unit, able to react to verbal commands, systolic BP 120 to 220 mmHg, oxygen saturation > 92% (with or without supplementation), heart rate 40 to 100, temperature < 38.5 C Exclusion criteria: premorbid mRS > 3, deterioration within first hour of admission to stroke unit, direct admission to intensive care, concurrent progressive neurological disorder, acute coronary syndrome, severe heart failure, lower limb fracture, palliative care
Interventions	Very early mobilisation plus standard care versus standard care alone The very early mobilisation group commenced mobilisation (upright and out of bed at least twice a day) as soon as practical, aiming to have first mobilisation within 24 hours of stroke onset This continued daily for 14 days post stroke or until discharge Participants were monitored during mobilisation within the first three days Mobilisation was delivered by a nurse/physiotherapist team
Outcomes	Mortality 'Severe' adverse events 'Non‐severe' adverse events Deterioration Perceived exertion (Borg scale) Total dose of mobilisation Time from stroke onset to first mobilisation mRS (disability) Contamination (increase in mobility in a random sample of standard care participants)
Notes	Follow‐up period: primary outcome 3 months, final follow up 12 months
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Allocation concealment?	Low risk	A ‐ Adequate

mRS: modified Rankin scale NIHSS: National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale