Timing of Antibiotics in ICU Pneumonia: An Observational Association Between Early Treatment and Higher Mortality
Abstract
Background: Early administration of antibiotics is commonly recommended for pneumonia in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. However, the clinical benefit of very early empirical treatment remains uncertain and may reflect differences in illness severity, baseline risk, or care pathways, particularly in non-septic or hemodynamically stable ICU populations. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (v2.2) database to evaluate the observational association between antibiotic timing and in-hospital mortality among adult ICU patients with pneumonia. Patients were categorized as receiving early (
Fields of Study & Subjects
Nosocomial Infections in ICU
Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment
Antibiotics Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Antibiotics
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 49–49
- Publication date
- 3 January 2026
- Language
- EN