AHRQ’s portrait of sepsis reveals its alarming human toll (27 September 2024)

Summary

The human suffering caused by sepsis is shocking. New AHRQ analyses show that in 2021, more than 2 million Americans were hospitalised with sepsis, 300,000 lives were lost, and hospital costs exceeded $52 billion.

Timing is critical in the battle against sepsis. Quick diagnosis and early treatment are crucial to minimising its devastating effects. However, gaps in information based on robust data limit our knowledge and present obstacles to policymakers eager to ease the burden of sepsis on our healthcare systems.

To address these needs, in 2023, Congress directed AHRQ to calculate the morbidity, mortality, and costs related to sepsis for all patients, including children and pregnant women. An important part of the project was assessing the contribution of pandemic Covid-19 infections to the burden of sepsis in hospitals.

Content

In recognition of Sepsis Awareness Month, AHRQ released An Assessment of Sepsis in the United States and Its Burden on Hospital Care, a comprehensive federal report on sepsis hospitalisations based on inpatient and emergency department data. AHRQ also published four complementary statistical briefs that offer valuable insights on sepsis trends from 2016 to 2021. These analyses paint a dire picture:

• Sepsis is the most common reason for hospitalisations after births, with 2.5 million inpatient stays in 2021. The number of sepsis hospitalisations is growing—with a 40% increase between 2016 and 2021. Covid-19 infections contributed significantly to this dramatic rise. 
• Hospital costs for sepsis patients soared from $31.2 billion in 2016 to $52.1 billion in 2021, accounting for over 14% of all hospital costs. Almost three-quarters of the hospital costs—more than $37.9 billion—were billed to Medicare and Medicaid for sepsis stays.
• Over half of sepsis hospitalisations—1.4 million—were for adults 65 years and older. One in six older patients with sepsis died in the hospital in 2021.
• In 2021, approximately 8,000 pregnant women were hospitalized with sepsis, and 1 in 25 pregnant women hospitalised with sepsis died in the hospital.
• In 2021, there were over 69,000 sepsis hospitalisations for children, and more than 850 children with sepsis died in the hospital.