Cook A, Hsia Y, Russell N, et al. - As studies in adults have documented discordant empiric antibiotic treatment linked with poor outcomes, researchers here explored this area in children and neonates given evidence of increasing resistance to recommended first-line treatment regimens. Twenty-five hospitals in 19 countries reported 452 children with blood-culture-positive BSI receiving early empiric antibiotics. The most common isolates were S. aureus, E. coli, and Klebsiella spp., and there were 158 unique empiric regimens prescribed. Findings suggest that odds of mortality are nearly 3-fold higher for patients receiving a discordant early empiric antibiotic regimen in confirmed pediatric BSI. Further evaluation is required to determine the impact of improved concordance of early empiric treatment on mortality, particularly in critically ill patients.