It's also worth noting the sepsis survival rate in elderly populations is quite distinct from younger adults. With only mild sepsis, a full recovery is the most common outcome. But for septic shock, the mortality rate is estimated to range between 25-40% – and closer to the higher end of that figure for the elderly.
There are high mortality rates of around 50%-60% in elderly patients with severe sepsis and septic shock[4,9,73]. The mortality due to severe sepsis in elderly patients is 1.3-1.5 times higher than that in younger cohorts[4,9].
On average, the recovery period from this condition takes about three to ten days, depending on the appropriate treatment response, including medication.
When treatment or medical intervention is missing, sepsis is a leading cause of death, more significant than breast cancer, lung cancer, or heart attack. Research shows that the condition can kill an affected person in as little as 12 hours.
The patient's prognosis is typically dependent on the infection severity, and treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) was successful. Data reveals that sepsis patients without organ failure have an 85% chance of surviving the debilitating disease.
Sepsis is a very serious illness for anyone at any age, but it can be particularly devastating for seniors. Older severe sepsis survivors are more than three times more likely to see a drop in cognitive (mental) abilities that can make it impossible for them to return to their previous living arrangements.
Urinary tract infection is the most common cause of sepsis in the elderly and responds best to antibiotic therapy. Pneumonia is the next most common cause and leads to the highest mortality in this age group; rapid (sometimes invasive) methods must be utilized to identify the etiologic agent.
Older adults with sepsis often present with atypical, nonspecific symptoms. The most common example is the presence of altered mental status, which is a nonspecific marker of infection in older patients and does not necessarily indicate a nervous system infection as it would in younger adults.
Many patients who survive severe sepsis recover completely, and their lives return to normal. But some people can have permanent organ damage. For example, in someone who already has impaired kidneys, sepsis can lead to kidney failure that requires lifelong dialysis.
The average sepsis-related length of stay during the baseline data collection period was 3.35 days, and the baseline sepsis-related 30-day readmission rate was 188/407 (46.19%).
If sepsis is not treated early, it can turn into septic shock and cause your organs to fail. This is life threatening.
Many people who survive sepsis recover completely and their lives return to normal. However, as with some other illnesses requiring intensive medical care, some patients have long-term effects.
When the infection-fighting processes turn on the body, they cause organs to function poorly and abnormally. Sepsis may progress to septic shock. This is a dramatic drop in blood pressure that can lead to severe organ problems and death.
And for all ages, the worse the sepsis, the greater the risk of developing dementia. Another study published in 2010 estimates that there may be as many as 20,000 new cases of dementia every year caused by sepsis.
Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection (3). If not recognized early and managed promptly, it can lead to septic shock, multiple organ failure and death.
Septic shock is the last and most severe stage of sepsis. Sepsis occurs when your immune system has an extreme reaction to an infection. The inflammation throughout your body can cause dangerously low blood pressure. You need immediate treatment if you have septic shock.
The mortality rate of SIRS ranges from 6% to 7% and in septic shock amounts to over 50%. In particular, abdominal sepsis exhibits the highest mortality rate with 72%. The long-term prognosis is equally poor; only approximately 30% survived the first year after hospital admission.
An estimated 27% of people with sepsis in hospitals and 42% of people in intensive care units will die. Antimicrobial resistance is a major challenge in sepsis treatment as it complicates the ability to treat infections, especially in health-care associated infections.
As severe sepsis usually involves infection of the bloodstream, the heart is one of the first affected organs.
Bacterial infections cause most cases of sepsis. Sepsis can also be a result of other infections, including viral infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza, or fungal infections.
High heart rate or weak pulse. Fever, shivering, or feeling very cold. Confusion or disorientation. Shortness of breath.
Sepsis can be caused by any type of infection: bacterial, viral, fungal, or even parasitic. Sepsis prevention is only possible by preventing infections with good and consistent hygiene and avoiding people with infections.
Healthcare professionals should treat sepsis with antibiotics as soon as possible. Antibiotics are critical tools for treating life-threatening infections, like those that can lead to sepsis.
About one-third of all sepsis survivors and more than 40% of older sepsis survivors have a repeat hospitalization within three months of their initial sepsis diagnosis. It is most often the result of a repeat episode of sepsis or another infection.