The following variables were abstracted and collected in
a standardised form: authors, publication year, study
design, gender, mean age, sample size, site of infection,
microorganism species and susceptibility, clinical
response, microbiological eradication, mortality and
adverse events. For studies that included multiple sites of
infection, we extracted data only from the patient population
with HAP. Any disagreement was resolved by
further review of the study and consensus among
authors.