Effect of antibiotics administered via the respiratory tract in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: We evaluated the effect of antibiotics administered via the respiratory tract to prevent the ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in mechanically ventilated (MV) patients.

Methods: We searched relevant articles for trials that evaluated the impact of prophylactic antibiotics administered through the respiratory tract on the occurrence of VAP. The end-point was the occurrence of VAP in MV patients.

Results: We included 6 comparative trials involving 1158 patients (632 received prophylactic antibiotic). Our meta-analysis revealed that prophylactic antibiotics administered through the respiratory tract reduced the occurrence of VAP when compared to placebo or no treatment (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.34-0.84). This effect was seen when the antibiotics were given by nebulization (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.22-0.97), but not when they were administered by intratracheal instillation (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.28-1.15). We did not find a significant difference between the compared groups in the intensive care unit (ICU) mortality (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.64-1.25). Antibiotic prophylaxis did not impact occurrence of VAP due to multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.17-2.62).

Conclusions: Prophylactic antibiotics administered through the respiratory tract by nebulization reduce the occurrence of VAP, without a significant effect on either the ICU mortality or occurrence of VAP due to MDR pathogens.