Initial management of septic shock involves following the hour-1 sepsis bundle which includes drawing blood cultures, measuring serum lactate levels, administering appropriate antibiotics within 1 hour of recognition, giving a balanced crystalloid fluid resuscitation, and administering vasopressors if the patient is hypotensive despite fluid resuscitation. A novel early indicator of sepsis called monocyte distribution width (MDW), which can be measured from a routine complete blood count within 30 minutes, may help improve early sepsis detection when used in combination with other clinical factors. Proper recognition and management of sepsis within the first hour can help reduce morbidity and mortality.