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.
Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center and Department of Neurosurgery, Sina Hospital, Tehran University, Iran. eftekhar@sina.tums.ac.ir
Behzad
B
Eftekhar
Mohammad
M
Ghodsi
Azar
A
Hadadi
Mousa
M
Taghipoor
Samira Zabihyan
SZ
Sigarchi
Vafa
V
Rahimi-Movaghar
Ehsan Sherafat
ES
Kazemzadeh
Babak
B
Esmaeeli
Farideh
F
Nejat
Alireza
A
Yalda
Ebrahim
E
Ketabchi