BACKGROUND: The Surviving Sepsis Campaign strongly recommends that intravenous antibiotic therapy should be started as early as possible, ideally within the first hour of recognition of severe @entity295 or @entity326 . There is ample evidence that failure to initiate early antimicrobial treatment correlates with increased morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this work was to review the recent literature regarding optimal initial antimicrobial treatment in @entity1 with severe @entity295 and @entity295 . MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review was performed. RESULTS: The most frequently quoted papers claiming the overriding prognostic importance of early administered antibiotics are retrospective data analyses. However, an equivalent number of studies report that a group of septic @entity1 do not benefit from early administration of antibiotics, but can also be harmed. In these @entity1 , watchful waiting with administration of a targeted antibiotic can be used, thus, avoiding the possible collateral damage from excessive treatment with antibiotics. Treatment with monotherapy is adequate in most cases. CONCLUSION: The administration of antibiotics based on the local epidemiology should be initiated quickly in critically ill @entity1 with severe @entity295 and @entity326 . In @entity1 who are not in @entity326 , treatment can be withheld, while awaiting further studies or clinical assessment to confirm the suspicion of @entity281 .

[First-line anti-infective treatment in XXXX .]

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity281 :: ('MESH:D007239', 'Disease') :: ['infection'] @entity295 :: ('MESH:D018805', 'Disease') :: ['sepsis', 'sepsis shock'] @entity326 :: ('MESH:D012772', 'Disease') :: ['septic shock']
@entity295 :: (MESH:D018805,Disease) :: ['sepsis']
