Use of TNF antagonists to prepare medicaments for treating cases of sepsis in which the serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) level increases over a period of at least 30 minutes is new. Also claimed is a method for determining if a sepsis patient should be treated with TNF antagonists, comprising measuring the serum IL-6 level at a first time t1, measuring the serum IL-6 level at a second time t2 which is at least 30 minutes later than t1, and treating the patient with TNF antagonists if the level at t2 is greater than the level at t1.
