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Hospitalizations for sepsis, septicemia increase twofold
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 11, 2011
Hospitalizations for sepsis and septicemia, two deadly bloodstream infections, more than doubled between 2000 and 2008, said a June Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
In 2000, there were 326,000 U.S. hospitalizations where sepsis or septicemia was listed as the principal diagnosis. That figure rose to 727,000 by 2008, said the report, which was issued by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (link). The sepsis and septicemia hospitalization rate per 10,000 population also more than doubled, from 11.6 in 2000 to 24 in 2008. Patients 65 and older were much likelier to contract the bloodstream infections, the report said.
The average length of stay for patients hospitalized with these conditions was 75% longer than for other patients, and they were more than eight times likelier to die during their hospital stay. Though just 2% of overall hospitalizations were for septicemia or sepsis, they accounted for 17% of in-hospital deaths.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/07/11/prbf0711.htm.
