In an analysis including nearly 50,000 patients with sepsis treated at 149 New York hospitals, more rapid delivery of a 3-hour sepsis-care bundle (a protocol recommending blood cultures, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and lactate measurement within 3 hours) was associated with lower mortality. More than 1.5 million cases of sepsis occur in the United States annually, and many patients with sepsis present to the emergency department. 1 International clinical practice guidelines and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recommend the prompt identification of sepsis and treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotic agents and intravenous fluids. 2 , 3 These recommendations are supported by preclinical and observational studies suggesting that early treatment with antibiotics and intravenous fluids could reduce the number of avoidable deaths. 4 , 5 Yet, considerable controversy exists about how rapidly sepsis must be treated. 6 Some clinicians question the potential benefit of rapid treatment, citing the . . .