Prophylactic Antibiotics in Adults With Acute Brain Injury Who Are Invasively Ventilated in the ICU: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections are common in patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation in an ICU after an acute brain injury and may have deleterious consequences.

Research Question: In adults with acute brain injury receiving invasive mechanical ventilation in an ICU, is the administration of prophylactic parenteral antibiotics, compared with placebo or usual care, associated with reduced mortality?

Study Design And Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in electronic databases, as well as unpublished trials.