Table 1 Characteristics of the studies included in the meta-analysis.
Author (publication year) | Inclusion criteria | Exclusion Criteria | Intervention | Outcomes | Inclusion NIHSS Treatment vs Control | Sample size | Infections Treatment vs Control | Pneumonia Treatment vs Control | Urinary tract infections Treatment vs Control | Mortality Treatment vs Control | Jadad Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
De Falco et al.9 | Ischemic stroke within 12 hours | NA | Penicillin intramuscularly | Infectious complications, case fatality, functional outcome (BI, CNS) | CNS score: Mean (SD), 4.5 (2.3) vs 4.1 (2.1) | 38/42 | 4/30 vs 8/30 | NA | NA | 4/38 vs 7/42 | 2 |
Chamorro et al.10 | Stroke within 24 hours; age >18 y; NIHSS >score 4 | Infection <3 months; T >37. 7 °C; allergy to fluoroquinolones; epilepsy; seizures; serum creatinine >2.5 mg/dL, antibiotics user; immunosuppressants therapy <3 months | Intravenous 500 mg/100 mL levofloxacin for 3 days, started within 24 h of stroke onset | Early infection (within 7 days), mortality, favorable outcome on day 90 (mRS <2, NIHSS <2, BI 95 or 100) | Median (interquartile), 14 (7–19) vs 11 (7–18) | 67/69 | 11/67 vs 13/69 | NA | NA | 16/67 vs 9/69 | 5 |
Lampl et al.11 | Ischemic stroke within 6 to 24 hours; age >18 y; NIHSS score >5 | Hemorrhagic stroke; other disease; pre-existing neurologic disability; tetracycline allergic; renal failure; pre-existing infectious disease; swallowing difficulties | Orally minocycline 200 mg/d for 5 days, started within 6–24 h of stroke onset | NIHSS on day 90; NIHSS, mRS, BI, death on day 7, 30, 90 | Mean (SD), 7.6 (3.8) vs 7.5 (3.2) | 74/77 | NA | NA | NA | 5/74 vs 9/77 | 2 |
Harms et al.12 | Ischemic stroke within 9 to 36 hours; aged ≥18 y; NIHSS score ≥11 in MCA territory | Hemorrhagic stroke; infections; antibiotics therapy <24 h; contraindications against moxifloxacin; immunosuppressant treatment | Intravenous 400 mg/d moxifloxacin for 5d, started within 36 h of stroke of onset | Infection rate on 11th day, bacterial spectrum, moxifloxacin resistance, body temperature, CRP, survival and functional outcome (BI) on day 180 | Median (interquartile), 17 (12–21) vs 15 (12–25) | 39/40 | 6/39 vs 13/40 | 3/39 vs 8/40 | 3/39 vs 5/40 | 1/39 vs 3/40 | 5 |
Schwarz et al.13 | Ischemic stroke within 24 hours; age >18 y; NIHSS score >5 | Hemorrhagic stroke; infections; renal insufficiency; penicillin or sulbactam allergic; immunosuppressant treatment; pregnancy | Intravenous mezlocillin 6 g/d plus sulbactam 1 g/d for 4 d, started within 24 h of stroke onset | mRS on day 90, infection, daily temperature | Median (interquartile), 17 (8–28) vs 15 (5–27) | 30/30 | 15/30 vs 27/30 | 5/30 vs 7/30 | 8/30 vs 18/30 | 0/30 vs 0/30 | 2 |
Westendorp et al.14 | Stroke within 24 hours; aged ≥18 y; NIHSS score ≥1 | Infections; antibiotics therapy <24 h; pregnancy; penicillin or cephalosporins allergic; subarachnoid hemorrhage; | Intravenous 2 g/d ceftriaxone for 4d, started within 24 h of stroke of onset | mRS on 3 months, mortality, infection | Median (interquartile), 5 (3–9) vs 5 (3–9) | 1268/1270 | 130/1268 vs 218/1270 | 71/1268 vs 88/1270 | 46/1268 vs 127/1270 | 131/1268 vs 136/1270 | 3 |
Kalra et al.15 | Stroke within 48 hours and with dysphagia; aged >18 y | Allergic to antibiotics; infections; preexisting dysphagia; pyrexia; pregnancy; imminent death | amoxicillin or co-amoxiclav, plus clarithromycin for 7 d, started within 24 h of stroke of onset | Post-stroke pneumonia and mortality on day 14 and 90, mRS <2 on day 90, adverse events | Median (interquartile), 15 (9–20) vs 14 (9–20) | 615/602 | 123/615 vs 136/602 | 101/615 vs 91/602 | 15/615 vs 39/602 | 184/615 vs 158/602 | 4 |
