Adequacy of early empiric antibiotic treatment and survival in severe sepsis: experience from the MONARCS trial.

As part of the Monoclonal Anti-TNF: A Randomized Controlled Sepsis (MONARCS) trial, which enrolled patients with suspected sepsis, we sought to determine whether adequate antibiotic therapy was associated with a decreased mortality rate. The study enrolled 2634 patients, 91% of whom received adequate antibiotic therapy. The mortality rate among patients given adequate antibiotic treatment was 33%, versus 43% among patients given inadequate treatment (P<.001). We conclude that adequate antibiotic therapy results in a significant decrease in the crude mortality rate among patients suspected of sepsis.