Prolonged Beta-Lactam Infusions Benefit the Critically Ill

Aug 14, 2026 · Published in: Pharmacotherapy

Background Information

Prolonged beta-lactam infusions improve survival in severe illness.

Prolonged infusion of beta-lactam antibiotics in severely ill adults may improve survival and clinical outcomes compared to short infusions. Prolonged infusion showed benefits for mortality (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.85 to 0.97) and clinical cure (RR 1.11; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.17) with high posterior probabilities of benefit. This update supports prolonged-infusion for beta-lactam antibiotics in severe illness, reinforcing previous recommendations with stronger evidence; appropriate for ICU settings, not generally applicable to oncology pharmacy. Prolonged-infusion beta-lactams may enhance survival and clinical outcomes in severely ill adults.

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Authors: Hong LT, FakhriRavari A, Ulldemolins M, Roberts JA, Bonomo RA, Scheetz MH, Prolonged‐Infusion Beta‐Lactam Consensus Panel

Citation: Hong LT, FakhriRavari A, Ulldemolins M, et al. Focused Update to International Consensus Recommendations for the Use of Prolonged-Infusion Beta-Lactam Antibiotics Among Severely Ill Adult Patients: Endorsed by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists. Pharmacotherapy. 2026;46(9):e70188. doi:10.1002/phar.70188

Article Links: PubMed · Journal / DOI · Free Full Text (PMC)

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