Poor people much more likely to die from sepsis, study finds

Poor people and those with existing health problems are much more likely to die from sepsis, one of the UK’s biggest killers, a study has found.

Sepsis, or blood poisoning, is a potentially fatal condition triggered when the body reacts to an infection by attacking its own tissues and vital organs. It leads to an estimated 48,000 deaths a year in Britain.

Research from the University of Manchester has disclosed for the first time how some groups are at much higher risk of dying from the condition than the general population.

An analysis of 248,767 cases of non-Covid sepsis in England between January 2019 and June 2022 has found that the most deprived people are twice as likely to die from it within 30 days.

The findings, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, also show that:

• People with learning disabilities are almost four times more likely to get sepsis.
• People with liver disease have about three times greater risk.
• Patients with chronic kidney disease that is at stage 5 are more than six times as likely to develop it.

“This study shows socioeconomic deprivation, comorbidity and learning disabilities are associated with an increased risk of developing non-Covid related sepsis and 30-day mortality in England.”

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Source: The Guardian, 23 November 2023