Appropriate timing of antibiotic initiation in patients with sepsis or septic shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: Evidence supporting antibiotic administration within 3 hours in sepsis without shock is limited. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether the timing of antibiotic initiation influences mortality in patients with sepsis or septic shock. We comprehensively searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Korean Medical Database from inception to November, 2022, using the keywords "sepsis," "septic shock," "anti-bacterial agents," "time to treatment," and "time factors." Two reviewers independently performed eligibility screening and full-text review. Thirteen studies including 79,246 patients were analyzed: five prospective, seven retrospective, and one retrospective case-control study. In overall sepsis cases, mor

SUBMITTER: Ku NS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12425674 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature