Colistin versus Colistin Combined with Ampicillin-Sulbactam for Multiresistant Ventilator-associated Pneumonia Treatment: An Open-label Prospective Study.

Background: Retrospective studies have reported good clinical success rates using colistin as monotherapy to treat ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), comparable to that obtained with colistin combined with other antibiotics. However, inadequate penetration into the pulmonary parenchyma for colistin has been shown in animal models.

Aim: The aim of the study was to study prospectively the outcome, measured as clinical response and survival, of intravenously administered colistin versus colistin combined with high-dose ampicillin-sulbactam in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients with multiresistant VAP.