Diagnostic uncertainty and antibiotic timing in sepsis: observational validation of a dual-axis decision model.

Balancing diagnostic uncertainty with the urgency of sepsis treatment is a persistent patient safety challenge. This observational cohort study of nearly 200,000 emergency room visits at a large urban health system examined relationships between sepsis diagnosis probability and illness acuity. Being aware of the relationship between uncertainty and treatment initiation may help clinicians avoid both premature treatment and potentially harmful delays, although prospective validation is still needed.