An analysis that included approximately 7 million hospitalizations finds that sepsis contributed to 1 in every 2 to 3 deaths, and most of these patients had sepsis at admission, according to a study published by JAMA. The study is being released early online to coincide with its presentation at the American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Sepsis, the inflammatory response to infection, affects millions of patients worldwide. However, its effect on overall hospital mortality has not been fully measured, according to background information in the article.
Vincent Liu, MD, MS, of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland, and colleagues quantified the contribution of sepsis to mortality in 2 inpatient groups from Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) and the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). The KPNC cohort included 482,828 adults with overnight, nonobstetrical hospitalizations at 21 KPNC hospitals between 2010 and 2012. The NIS, a nationally representative sample of 1,051 hospitals, included 6.5 million adult hospitalizations in 2010. Two approaches were used to identify patients with sepsis: explicit (those with certain sepsis-related codes); and implicit (patients with evidence of both infection and acute organ failure).
Of 14,206 KPNC inpatient deaths, 36.9 percent (explicit) to 55.9 percent (implicit) occurred among patients with sepsis, which was nearly all present on admission. Of 143,312 NIS deaths, 34.7 percent (explicit) to 52.0 percent (implicit) occurred among patients with sepsis. In a 2012 KPNC subset, patients with sepsis meeting criteria for early goal-directed therapy (n = 2,536) comprised 32.6 percent of sepsis deaths.
"Given the prominent role it plays in hospital mortality, improved treatment of sepsis could offer meaningful improvements in population mortality," the authors write.
The researchers note that patients with initially less severe sepsis made up the majority of sepsis deaths. "Performance improvement efforts in the treatment of sepsis have primarily focused on standardizing care for the most severely ill patients, whereas interventions for treating other patients with sepsis are less well defined. Given their prevalence, improving standardized care for patients with less severe sepsis could drive future reductions in hospital mortality."
This work was supported by the Permanente Medical Group, the Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plan, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research & Development.
Source: AMA
Second Strain of Bird Flu Found in US Dairy Cows: What It Means for Infection Prevention and Control
February 7th 2025A new H5N1 strain was found in Nevada dairy cows, challenging earlier transmission theories. This raises concerns about animal vulnerability, human health risks, and food safety. Experts emphasize the need for improved surveillance, biosecurity, and cross-sector collaboration to contain the virus spread.
Fungal Infections: The Silent Epidemic Threatening Global Health
February 6th 2025Fungal infections are a rising global threat, with antifungal resistance complicating treatment. Neil J. Clancy, MD, emphasizes the urgent need for research, better diagnostics, and stronger infection prevention strategies.