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 4 min Conexiant Share Summary Takeaways Listen Insight Report Clinical Scorecard Quiz Poll Top Institutions 1 A study found that earlier antibiotic initiation for sepsis does not lead to increased overtreatment among patients. 2 The analysis included 9,180 adult patients treated by 88 attending ED physicians across four Utah hospitals. 3 Physician-level variation in door-to-antimicrobial time was significant, with a median time of 155 minutes. 4 Qualitative interviews revealed that faster physicians employed proactive communication and early coordination. 5 The study's findings may have limited generalizability due to its regional focus and the time gap in data collection.
