HQ Team
October 15, 2024: Severe sepsis and septic shock are major causes of mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. According to recent research presented by Dr. Finn E. Nielsen at the European Emergency Medicine Congress, half of all patients admitted to an emergency department with sepsis in Denmark died within two years of their diagnosis. This study involved 714 adult patients and identified several key risk factors contributing to these alarming outcomes.
Understanding sepsis
The current study examined outcomes among patients admitted with sepsis in a hospital between October 2017 and March 2018.
Dr Nielsen said, “Our study relied on a sepsis database, which provided valuable information based on prospectively collected patient data. Unlike frequently used routine registry data, this approach minimised errors, and allowed for more accurate and detailed insights into sepsis effects.”
The study included 2,110 patients with suspected infections, of whom 714 developed sepsis. The study found that after a median of two years, 361 (50.6%) of the patients with sepsis had died from any cause, including sepsis. Older age increased the risk of death by 4% for every additional year of age.
Patients with conditions such as dementia (90% increased risk), cancer (121% increased risk), and ischemic heart disease (39% increased risk) faced significantly higher mortality rates. Also, those who had been hospitalized for sepsis within the last six months had a 48% increased risk of dying.
Dr. Nielsen emphasized the importance of recognizing these risk factors to improve patient care and follow-up strategies, particularly in emergency medicine settings.
Global context of sepsis
Sepsis is a leading cause of death globally, with varying incidence and mortality rates across different regions. In Denmark, the incidence is approximately two cases per 1,000 inhabitants, leading to around 1,000 deaths annually. Globally, sepsis affects millions each year; In a report, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted limitations and gaps in knowledge about sepsis outcomes, with existing studies having a mixture of designs, differences in data sources, and different definitions of sepsis, all of which produced considerable variations in estimates of incidence and deaths from the condition. The WHO called for prospective studies to investigate long-term outcomes for sepsis patients.
Statistics on sepsis mortality
- General Mortality Rates: Mortality rates for severe sepsis can range from 20% to over 50%, depending on various factors such as organ dysfunction and comorbidities.
- From data published in 2020, there were 48.9 million cases and 11 million sepsis-related deaths worldwide, representing 20% of all global deaths, according to the WHO.
- Trends in Mortality: Recent studies indicate a decline in sepsis-related mortality due to improvements in diagnostic and treatment protocols. For instance, in the U.S., mortality from severe sepsis decreased from 35% in 2000 to about 18% by 2012
Future research
The Danish study was carried out in a single facility, and Dr. Nielsen emphasized the need for larger multi-diverse studies to more comprehensively understand sepsis outcomes. Reliance on a single-centre study limits the findings.
As healthcare providers strive to reduce mortality rates associated with this condition, ongoing research and data collection will be crucial in shaping future interventions.
For further reading on sepsis and its implications in healthcare, consider exploring articles from reputable sources such as JAMA Network, Infection Journal, and The Lancet.
