Antibiotic therapy in ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis: a literature review. / Terapêutica antibiótica na traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica: uma revisão da literatura.

The concept of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis is controversial; its definition is not unanimously accepted and often overlaps with ventilator-associated pneumonia. Ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis has an incidence similar to that of ventilator-associated pneumonia, with a high prevalence of isolated multiresistant agents, resulting in an increase in the time of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization but without an impact on mortality. The performance of quantitative cultures may allow better diagnostic definition of tracheobronchitis associated with mechanical ventilation, possibly avoiding the overdiagnosis of this condition. One of the major difficulties in differentiating between ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis and ventilator-associated pneumonia is the exclusion of a pulmonary infiltrate by chest radiography; thoracic computed tomography, thoracic ultrasonography, or invasive specimen collection may also be required. The institution of systemic antibiotic therapy does not improve the clinical impact of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis, particularly in reducing time of mechanical ventilation, hospitalization or mortality, despite the possible reduced progression to ventilator-associated pneumonia. However, there are doubts regarding the methodology used. Thus, considering the high prevalence of tracheobronchitis associated with mechanical ventilation, routine treatment of this condition would result in high antibiotic usage without clear benefits. However, we suggest the institution of antibiotic therapy in patients with tracheobronchitis associated with mechanical ventilation and septic shock and/or worsening of oxygenation, and other auxiliary diagnostic tests should be simultaneously performed to exclude ventilator-associated pneumonia. This review provides a better understanding of the differentiation between tracheobronchitis associated with mechanical ventilation and pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation, which can significantly decrease the use of antibiotics in critically ventilated patients.

Terapêutica antibiótica na traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica: uma revisão da literatura / Antibiotic therapy in ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis: a literature review

RESUMO O conceito de traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica é controverso, e sua definição não é unanimemente aceita, sobrepondo-se, muitas vezes, à da pneumonia associada à ventilação mecânica. A traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica tem incidência semelhante à da pneumonia associada à ventilação mecânica, com elevada prevalência de agentes multirresistentes isolados, condicionando um aumento do tempo de ventilação mecânica e de internação, ainda que sem impacto na mortalidade. A realização de culturas quantitativas pode permitir melhor definição diagnóstica da traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica, possivelmente evitando o sobrediagnóstico desta entidade. Uma das maiores dificuldades na diferenciação entre traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica e pneumonia associada à ventilação mecânica reside na exclusão de um infiltrado pulmonar por meio da radiografia do tórax; também podem ser necessárias a tomografia computadorizada torácica, a ultrassonografia torácica ou ainda a colheita de amostras invasivas. A instituição de terapêutica antibiótica sistêmica não demonstrou melhorar o impacto clínico da traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica, nomeadamente na redução do tempo de ventilação mecânica, de internação ou mortalidade, apesar da eventual menor progressão para pneumonia associada à ventilação mecânica, ainda que existam dúvidas relativas à metodologia utilizada. Deste modo, considerando a elevada prevalência da traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica, o tratamento desta entidade, por rotina, resultaria em elevada prescrição antibiótica sem benefícios claros. No entanto, sugerimos a instituição de terapêutica antibiótica em doentes com traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica e choque séptico e/ou agravamento da oxigenação, devendo ser realizados simultaneamente outros exames auxiliares de diagnóstico para exclusão da pneumonia associada à ventilação mecânica. Após esta revisão da literatura, entendemos que uma melhor diferenciação entre traqueobronquite associada à ventilação mecânica e pneumonia associada à ventilação mecânica pode diminuir, de forma significativa, a utilização de antibióticos em doentes críticos ventilados.

ABSTRACT The concept of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis is controversial; its definition is not unanimously accepted and often overlaps with ventilator-associated pneumonia. Ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis has an incidence similar to that of ventilator-associated pneumonia, with a high prevalence of isolated multiresistant agents, resulting in an increase in the time of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization but without an impact on mortality. The performance of quantitative cultures may allow better diagnostic definition of tracheobronchitis associated with mechanical ventilation, possibly avoiding the overdiagnosis of this condition. One of the major difficulties in differentiating between ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis and ventilator-associated pneumonia is the exclusion of a pulmonary infiltrate by chest radiography; thoracic computed tomography, thoracic ultrasonography, or invasive specimen collection may also be required. The institution of systemic antibiotic therapy does not improve the clinical impact of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis, particularly in reducing time of mechanical ventilation, hospitalization or mortality, despite the possible reduced progression to ventilator-associated pneumonia. However, there are doubts regarding the methodology used. Thus, considering the high prevalence of tracheobronchitis associated with mechanical ventilation, routine treatment of this condition would result in high antibiotic usage without clear benefits. However, we suggest the institution of antibiotic therapy in patients with tracheobronchitis associated with mechanical ventilation and septic shock and/or worsening of oxygenation, and other auxiliary diagnostic tests should be simultaneously performed to exclude ventilator-associated pneumonia. This review provides a better understanding of the differentiation between tracheobronchitis associated with mechanical ventilation and pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation, which can significantly decrease the use of antibiotics in critically ventilated patients.