What are the recommended empirical antibiotic regimens for treating bacteraemia in adults?

For adult patients (aged 18 years and over) with suspected bacteraemia requiring empirical antibiotic treatment, the recommended approach is to use an intravenous antimicrobial from the agreed local formulary, aligned with local or national guidelines, as there is no single universal regimen specified in the UK guidelines. This ensures coverage is appropriate for local resistance patterns and patient-specific factors. Empirical treatment should be broad-spectrum initially until the causative organism and sensitivities are identified. ¹