Short-Course Versus Prolonged-Course Antibiotic Therapy for Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia in Critically Ill Adults

This review sought to assess the effectiveness of short versus prolonged-course antibiotics for hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in critically ill adults, including patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).¹ 

HAP is a frequent nosocomial infection in hospitals worldwide, and the most common hospital-acquired condition in the intensive care unit (ICU). More than 90% of HAP cases in the ICU occur in patients who are intubated and receiving mechanical ventilation, making VAP the most significant contributor to the problem.²  National treatment guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Thoracic Society, and the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy are 8 to 10 years old, and numerous studies have been done in the interval. In addition, the definition of VAP is an area of current debate. The authors of this Cochrane Review sought to include the most recent evidence evaluating the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy, a key consideration in the...