Do Prolonged Infusions of β-Lactam Antibiotics Improve Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients With Sepsis?

There has been a concerted effort over the past 2 decades to improve sepsis outcomes by enhancing recognition of sepsis and decreasing the time to administration of appropriate antibiotics. Sepsis mortality rates remain high, however, and the increasing use of broad-spectrum antibiotics may accelerate the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A tantalizing goal is to identify strategies for antibiotic use that can simultaneously improve patient outcomes and decrease antibiotic resistance.