Inpatient care for septicemia or sepsis: a challenge for patients and hospitals.

TLDR

Septicemia and sepsis are life‑threatening bloodstream infections arising from diverse sources, often treated in ICUs, where early aggressive therapy improves survival but survivors may suffer lasting organ damage, cognitive decline, and physical disability, and the conditions remain a leading cause of death. This report describes recent trends in inpatient care for patients with septicemia or sepsis. In 2008, hospitalizations for septicemia cost an estimated $14.6 billion, and from 1997 to 2008 the inflation‑adjusted aggregate costs rose an average of 11.9 % per year.

Abstract

Septicemia and sepsis are serious bloodstream infections that can rapidly become life-threatening. They arise from various infections, including those of the skin, lungs, abdomen, and urinary tract. Patients with these conditions are often treated in a hospital’s intensive care unit. Early aggressive treatment increases the chance of survival. In 2008, an estimated $14.6 billion was spent on hospitalizations for septicemia, and from 1997 through 2008, the inflation-adjusted aggregate costs for treating patients hospitalized for this condition increased on average annually by 11.9%. Despite high treatment expenditures, septicemia and sepsis are often fatal. Those who survive severe sepsis are more likely to have permanent organ damage, cognitive impairment, and physical disability. Septicemia is a leading cause of death. The purpose of this report is to describe the most recent trends in care for hospital inpatients with these diagnoses.