Evidence
This page contains a snapshot of featured content which highlights evidence addressing key clinical questions including areas of uncertainty. Please see the main topic reference list for details of all sources underpinning this topic.
BMJ Best Practice evidence tables
Evidence tables provide easily navigated layers of evidence in the context of specific clinical questions, using GRADE and a BMJ Best Practice Effectiveness rating. Follow the links at the bottom of the table, which go to the related evidence score in the main topic text, providing additional context for the clinical question. Find out more about our evidence tables.
This table is a summary of the analysis reported in a Cochrane Clinical Answer that focuses on the above important clinical question.
Confidence in the evidence is moderate or low to moderate where GRADE has been performed and there may be no difference in effectiveness between the intervention and comparison for key outcomes.
Population: Adults in intensive care units with ventilator-acquired pneumonia
Intervention: Short-course antibiotic therapy (for 7 or 8 days)
Comparison: Prolonged-course antibiotic therapy (for 10, 12, 15, or 16 days)
| Outcome | Effectiveness (BMJ rating)? | Confidence in evidence (GRADE)? |
|---|---|---|
All‐cause 28‐day mortality | No statistically significant difference | Moderate |
Recurrence of pneumonia | No statistically significant difference | Low |
Recurrence of pneumonia: pneumonia caused by non‐fermenting Gram‐negative bacilli (NF‐GNB) ᵃ | Favours comparison | Moderate |
Recurrence of pneumonia: pneumonia caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms ᵇ | Favours intervention | GRADE assessment not performed for this outcome |
Antibiotic‐free days in 28 days | Favours intervention | Low |
Clinical resolution | No statistically significant difference | GRADE assessment not performed for this outcome |
Duration of ICU stay | No statistically significant difference | GRADE assessment not performed for this outcome |
Duration of mechanical ventilation | No statistically significant difference | GRADE assessment not performed for this outcome |
Note ᵃ Based on a subgroup analysis. The Cochrane Clinical Answer (CCA) also mentions other subgroup analyses in people with MRSA or unspecified organisms. However, these were too small to provide clinically meaningful results. See CCA for more details. ᵇ This outcome was reported in the Cochrane review that underlies this CCA. However, it was not mentioned in the CCA itself.
This evidence table is related to the following section/s:
Cochrane Clinical Answers
Cochrane Clinical Answers (CCAs) provide a readable, digestible, clinically focused entry point to rigorous research from Cochrane systematic reviews. They are designed to be actionable and to inform decision making at the point of care and have been added to relevant sections of the main Best Practice text.
- Which regimen is most effective at improving outcomes in critically ill adults with hospital‐acquired pneumonia: short‐course or prolonged‐course antibiotic therapy?
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