Starting Antibiotics

I have heard that antibiotics must be started within 4 hours of being ordered by the physician. Is this correct?
It is totally dependent on the regulations in the state where you practice nursing, as well as the policy of your workplace.In the state where I reside (Texas), LTC regulations mandated that the initial dose of an antibiotic be administered within four hours of receipt of the order from the physician. If it would not be possible to obtain the particular antibiotic within a four hour window, the nurse would need to notify the physician to either obtain permission to implement a later start date for the antibiotic or obtain an order for an alternative.

The longer you wait to start an antibiotic, the higher the chance of mortality (at least in acute care r/t sepsis). If it's an initial dose of an antibiotic, strive to get it up as soon as possible.