Sepsis

sepsis, systemic inflammatory condition that occurs as a complication of infection and in severe cases may be associated with acute and life-threatening organ dysfunction. Worldwide, sepsis has long been a common cause of illness and mortality in hospitals, intensive care units, and emergency departments. In 2017 alone, an estimated 11 million people worldwide died from sepsis, accounting for nearly one-fifth of all deaths globally that year. Nonetheless, this number marked a decrease in sepsis death rates from the last part of the 20th century. Improvements in health care, including better sanitation and the development of more effective treatments, were thought to have contributed to the decline.

Populations most susceptible to sepsis include the elderly and persons who are severely ill and hospitalized. In the early 21st century, other factors, including increased life expectancy for persons with immunodeficiency disorders (e.g., HIV/AIDS), increased incidence of antibiotic resistance, and increased use of anticancer chemotherapy and immunosuppressive drugs (e.g., for organ transplantation), have emerged as important risk factors of sepsis.