This prospective, observational study examined the beta-lactam antibiotic concentrations in the crucial first 48 hours of treatment for patients with community-acquired sepsis in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The study included 50 adult ICU patients with suspected infection and a high SOFA score.

Antibiotic levels were frequently monitored (up to seven times per patient) to determine if concentrations were appropriate—specifically, to see how the estimated trough concentration related to the required minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).

The results highlighted that ICU patients with sepsis face a significant risk of having either too low (risking treatment failure) or too high (risking toxicity) antibiotic concentrations.

The findings suggest that personalized dosing is necessary, as specific patient characteristics can influence drug levels.

The study advocates for the use of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) combined with model-informed precision dosing to optimize antibiotic treatment in the early, critical phase of sepsis. This approach could effectively balance the need to prevent both treatment failure and toxicity.

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