Empiric antibiotic therapy for suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Objective: To compare specific antibiotic regimens, and monotherapy vs. combination therapy, for the empirical treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Design: Meta-analysis.

Empiric antimicrobial therapy in critical illness: results of a surgical infection society survey.

Background: Antibiotics are prescribed commonly in the intensive care unit (ICU). Often, therapy is initiated empirically; practice patterns are not well characterized. We documented approaches to empiric antibiotic therapy among members of the Surgical Infection Society (SIS).

Antibiotic management of suspected nosocomial ICU-acquired infection: does prolonged empiric therapy improve outcome?

Objective: To characterize empiric antibiotic use in patients with suspected nosocomial ICU-acquired infections (NI), and determine the impact of prolonged therapy in the absence of infection.

Design And Setting: Multicenter prospective cohort, with eight medical-surgical ICUs in North America and Europe.

Patients: 195 patients with suspected NI.