Is Piperacillin-Tazobactam an Appropriate Empirical Agent for Hospital-Acquired Sepsis and Community-Acquired Septic Shock of Unknown Origin in Australia?

Early appropriate empirical antibiotics are critical for reducing mortality in sepsis. For hospital-acquired sepsis of unknown origin in Australia, piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) is recommended as an empirical therapy. Anecdotally, some institutions also use TZP for community-acquired septic shock.