Prophylactic antibiotic for prevention of posttraumatic meningitis after traumatic pneumocephalus: design and rationale of a placebo-controlled randomized multicenter trial [ISRCTN71132784].
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotic for prevention of meningitis in acute traumatic pneumocephalus patients.


METHODS
In this prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial, 200 selected head injury patients with traumatic pneumocephalus are randomly assigned to receive intravenous antibiotics (2 grams Ceftriaxone twice a day), oral antibiotics (Azithromycin) or placebo for at least 7 days after trauma. The patients will be followed for one month posttrauma.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors hope that this study helps clarifying the effectiveness and indications of antibiotics in prevention of meningitis in traumatic pneumocephalus after head injury and in specific subgroup of these patients.
Eftekhar
Behzad
B
Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center and Department of Neurosurgery, Sina Hospital, Tehran University, Iran. eftekhar@sina.tums.ac.ir
Ghodsi
Mohammad
M
Hadadi
Azar
A
Taghipoor
Mousa
M
Sigarchi
Samira Zabihyan
SZ
Rahimi-Movaghar
Vafa
V
Kazemzadeh
Ehsan Sherafat
ES
Esmaeeli
Babak
B
Nejat
Farideh
F
Yalda
Alireza
A
Ketabchi
Ebrahim
E