Sepsis Antibiotic Timing Shows Physician Divide
Emergency department physicians differ in how quickly they initiate antibiotics for suspected sepsis.
By
Kathryn Wighton
March 2, 2026
Clinical Scorecard: Sepsis Antibiotic Timing Shows Physician Divide
At a Glance
Category Detail
Condition Sepsis Key Mechanisms Door-to-antimicrobial time and physician practice patterns. Target Population Adult patients (18 years or older) meeting Sepsis-3 criteria. Care Setting Emergency department (ED) in a regional health system.
Key Highlights
Study evaluated 9,180 adult patients treated by 88 attending ED physicians. Median door-to-antimicrobial time was 155 minutes, with a range of 89.5 to 218 minutes. Only 8.5% of patients were adjudicated as not having an infection. No significant association found between antimicrobial timing and overtreatment. Qualitative interviews revealed differences in care processes among physicians. Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Utilize Sepsis-3 criteria for diagnosis. Management
Initiate antimicrobial treatment as early as possible without increasing overtreatment. Monitoring & Follow-up
Assess door-to-antimicrobial times and adjust practices accordingly. Risks
Consider potential for residual confounding in practice patterns. Patient & Prescribing Data
Adult patients with sepsis in the ED.
Faster antimicrobial administration did not correlate with increased overtreatment.
Clinical Best Practices
Encourage proactive communication and early multidisciplinary coordination. Adopt parallel task execution in sepsis evaluation and treatment. Related Resources & Content
