Defining Antibiotic Treatment Duration for Ventilator - Associated Lung Infection

Antibiotics should be stopped from day 3 to 7 if respiratory cultures are negative and the patients fulfill a set of stringent clinical criteria signifying cardiopulmonary stability for 48 hours. If the respiratory cultures are positive, patients who fulfill the same set of clinical criteria should have their antibiotics stopped from day 5 to 7.

Participants in the control (long duration) arm will receive standard care, which is antibiotic treatment for at least 8 days with the exact duration decided by the primary physician.