The purpose of this study is to find out whether continuous infusion of beta-lactam antibiotics or intermittent infusion or beta-lactam antibiotics, offers more health advantages to patients or if there is no difference. The investigators will be looking to see whether patients receiving beta-lactams via one administration method or the other have a better chance of recovering from their illness. They will also be looking at long term outcomes such as quality-of-life and healthcare resource use. Sepsis is caused by toxic substances (toxins) from bacteria and other organism entering the bloodstream from a site of infection. In some people, the infection can progress to sepsis and septic shock where the functions of organs in the body are affected. Patients suffering from sepsis and septic shock are commonly managed in the intensive care unit (ICU) where they are prescribed antibiotics as standard therapy, as well as other therapies to support the functions of the body. Beta-lactam antibiotics are a group of antibiotics commonly used to treat infection in patients with sepsis and septic shock. Currently, beta-lactam antibiotics are most commonly given to patients be intermittent infusions, that is, given at regular intervals throughout 24 hours. New research suggests that giving beta-lactam antibiotics as a continuous infusion may mean that antibiotic concentrations in the blood remain more consistent and may be more effective at killing bacteria. However, the benefit to the patient by giving beta-lactams via continuous infusion has not been tested in a high-quality, large clinical trial.
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All-cause mortality
Timeframe: 90 Days after randomisation