Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40888899›Full record

ReviewIntensive care medicine2025

Antibiotic therapy for severe bacterial infections.

Jean-François Timsit, Lowell Ling, Etienne de Montmollin, Hendrik Bracht, Andrew Conway-Morris, Liesbet De Bus, Marco Falcone, Patrick N A Harris, Flavia R Machado, José-Artur Paiva and 7 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Intensive care medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Hour-1 Sepsis Bundle: Updated Evidence.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. A review of bloodstream infections-pathogens, pathogenesis, diagnostic strategies, treatment methods-challenges and future aspects.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Review
  6. Challenges and opportunities in the management of severe pneumonia. Key concepts from the Seventh Annual Meeting of Spanish Experts 2025.Revista espanola de quimioterapia : publicacion oficial de la Sociedad Espanola de Quimioterapia · 2026
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. The intestinal microbiota impacts nutritional immunity and resistance toProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. InvasiveJournal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Jean-François TimsitUniversité Paris-Cité, INSERM, IAME, U1137, Team MOCLID, Paris, France. Jean-francois.timsit@aphp.fr.ORCID 0000-0002-6063-7383
Lowell LingDepartment of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Etienne de MontmollinUniversité Paris-Cité, INSERM, IAME, U1137, Team MOCLID, Paris, France.
Hendrik BrachtDepartment of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine, Transfusion Medicine, and Pain Therapy, University Hospital OWL, Campus Bielefeld-Bethel, Bielefeld, Germany.
Andrew Conway-MorrisPerioperative, Acute, Critical Care and Emergency Medicine Section, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Liesbet De BusDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
Marco FalconeInfectious Diseases Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy.
Patrick N A HarrisThe University of Queensland, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
Flavia R MachadoIntensive Care Department, Hospital São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
José-Artur PaivaIntensive Care Medicine Department, ULS São João, Porto, Portugal.
David L PatersonThe University of Queensland, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
Garyphallia PoulakouThird Department of Internal Medicine and Laboratory, Medical School, "SOTIRIA" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Jason A RobertsThe University of Queensland, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
Claire RogerDivision of Anesthesia Critical Care and Emergency and Pain Medicine, UR UM 103, University of Montpellier, Nimes University Hospital, Nimes, France.
Andrew F ShorrMedstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Alexis TabahThe University of Queensland, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
Jeffrey LipmanThe University of Queensland, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEarly antibiotic therapy for patients with severe infections is essential to improve outcomes. Conversely, use of overly broad antibiotic therapy for susceptible pathogens or unnecessary antibiotics in patients without bacterial infections is associated with adverse life-threatening events and superinfections. Antibiotics-induced changes in the human microbiota alter both immune and metabolic systems. Uncontrolled antibiotic use encourages emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms. Around 50% of ICU patients receiving antibiotic therapy do not have confirmed infections, whilst de-escalation and shortened treatment duration are infrequently performed. Mortality from serious infections remains high, highlighting the need for treatment optimisation.

methodsNarrative review.

objectivesTo summarise the available evidence, emerging options, and unresolved controversies in optimising antibiotic therapy in severe infections.

resultsLocal epidemiology, underlying illnesses, accessibility to health care systems, and diagnostic and therapeutic resources are important factors to consider. Rapid diagnostic tests combined with individualised decision-making improve the selection of antibiotic therapy. Rapid de-escalation to narrow-spectrum monotherapy and shortening of the duration of therapy should be the rule. Uncertainty still persists regarding the personalisation of therapy for difficult-to-treat resistant bacteria. Pharmacokinetic (PK) optimisation and prolonged or continuous beta-lactam use is safe and may improve outcomes. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) should be used, especially when altered volume of distribution and/or drug clearance is suspected or where toxicity is likely. The impact of TDM combined with prompt dose adjustment is encouraged. Emerging technologies including rapid broad diagnostic tests and electronic antibiotic optimisation tools will further support collaboration between pharmacists, microbiologists, infectious diseases specialists, and intensivists for optimising antibiotic therapy and stewarding these precious resources.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsBacterial InfectionsHumansIntensive Care UnitsAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntibioticsAntibiotic stewardshipCritically illPharmacokineticsRapid diagnostic testsSepsis

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.