Table 5 Summary of 3 meta-analysis of colistin for the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia

A. Florescu et al. [76]

Colistin versus control group

Not significant; 6 two-arm studies, 359 patients (OR 1.14 [95% CI 0.74–1.77; p = 0.56]; I2 = 0%; Q = 4.98 [p = 0.42])

Not significant; 2 studies, 128 patients (OR 1.997 [95% CI 0.97–4.12; p = 0.06]; I2 = 2.48%; Q = 1.03 [p = 0.31])

Not significant; 2 studies, 155 patients (OR 1.27 [95% CI 0.66–2.43; p = 0.47]; I2 = 0%; Q = 0.057 [p = 0.81])

Single-arm studies

Significant; 13 studies, 429 patients (95% CI 0.64–0.80; Q = 55.3; p < 0.0001)

Significant; 9 studies, 267 patients (95% CI 0.44–0.79; Q = 121.56; p < 0.0001)

Significant; 5 studies, 257 patients (95% CI 0.15–0.42; Q = 43.61; p < 0.0001)

B. Gu et al. [77]

Colistin versus β-Lactam antibiotics

Not significant; 6 studies, 507 patients (OR = 1, 95% CI 0.68–1.47, p = 0.99, I2 = 0%)

Not significant; 3 studies, 91 patients (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.18–2.22, p = 0.48, I2 = 38%)

Not significant; 3 studies, 320 patients; (OR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.60–1.72, p = 0.95, I2 = 0%)

AS + IV colistin versus IV colistin alone

Significant; 3 studies, 415 patients (OR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.40–3.20, p = 0.0004, I2 = 0%)

Not significant; 2 studies, 242 patients (OR = 1.29, 95% CI 0.63–2.63, p = 0.48, I2 = 43%)

Not significant; 3 studies, 415 patients (OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.50–1.11, p = 0.15, I2 = 0%)

Colistin-combined therapy versus colistin monotherapy

Not significant; 5 studies, 245 patients (OR = 1.38, 95% CI 0.81–2.33, p = 0.23, I2 = 0%)

Not significant; 4 studies, 212 patients (OR = 1.49, 95% CI 0.79–2.83, p = 0.22, I2 = 0%)

Not significant; 2 studies, 123 patients (OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.22–1.03, p = 0.06, I2 = 0%)

C. Valachis et al. [78]

Adjunctive AS colistin versus IV colistin

Significant; 8 studies, 690 patients (OR, 1.57; 95%CI, 1.14–2.15; p = 0.006)

Significant; 7 studies, 479 patients (OR, 1.61; 95%CI, 1.11–2.35; p = 0.01)

Not significant; 7 studies, 668 patients (OR, 0.74; 95%CI, 0.54–1.01; p = 0.06)

AS colistin monotherapy versus IV colistin

Not significant; 2 studies, 31 patients

Not significant; 2 studies, 31 patients

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