Continuous infusions of beta-lactam antibiotics, rather than intermittent doses, should be adopted as the standard of care for managing adults with sepsis, according to Australian doctors.

The advice follows their systematic review that shows a 14% reduced 90-day mortality risk in critically ill adults with sepsis or septic shock when given prolonged IV antibiotics instead of short stints.

Updating ICU protocols to include continuous beta-lactam antibiotic infusion could prevent one death for every 26 patients treated, say researchers from the University of Queensland and The George Institute for Global Health.

“Given the simple nature of the findings and the conversations we are having between hospitals, we expect most will adopt these changes immediately,” said co-author and Brisbane intensivist Emeritus Professor Jeffrey Lipman.