Sepsis: People with chronic illness or learning disabilities more likely to die from infection, scientists warn UK News

NHS figures show people with certain medical conditions and those from poor backgrounds are at higher risk of developing sepsis and are more likely to die within a month.

People with chronic liver and kidney disease and people with learning disabilities are at greater risk of dying from sepsis, scientists have warned.

A new study of NHS data has found that patients with certain conditions are three times more likely to die from an infection within a month than others, while the risk is six times higher for those with kidney disease.

Experts say being born into poverty also increases the risk of sepsis and death by 80%.

The new study found that those with an “extensive history” antibiotic The risk of exposure is also higher.

Study co-author Professor Tjeerd van Staa, from the University of Manchester, said: “This study shows that socioeconomic deprivation, comorbidities and learning disabilities are associated with an increased risk of non-COVID-19-related sepsis and 30-day sepsis. Deaths in the UK Rate.

“This study highlights the urgent need for sepsis risk prediction models to account for chronic disease states, deprivation states, learning disabilities, and infection severity.

“There is an urgent need to improve sepsis prevention, including more precisely targeting the use of antimicrobials to high-risk patients.”

The study also looked at the number of deaths within 30 days of a sepsis diagnosis and found the highest rates were among people in their 80s and white people.

Researchers said that while patients with cancer, neurological disease, diabetes and immunosuppressive diseases are at increased risk of developing sepsis.

Studies show that people who are underweight or obese also have a higher chance of developing sepsis, while smokers are also at higher risk.

After adjusting for other factors, the researchers also found that people with learning disabilities were at least three times more likely to be diagnosed with sepsis than those without learning disabilities.

What is sepsis and what are its symptoms?

Sepsis is a life-threatening disease that occurs when the body overreacts to an infection and begins attacking its own tissues and organs.

Once diagnosed, sepsis is considered a medical emergency, but it can be difficult for doctors to detect because in adults, sepsis initially feels like the flu, chest infection, or gastroenteritis.

But in children, its severity is often overlooked because the symptoms are caused by other conditions.

These early symptoms include fever, chills and shakes, rapid heartbeat, and shortness of breath.

Symptoms of sepsis or septic shock include feeling dizzy or weak, nausea and vomiting, confusion or disorientation, diarrhea and coldness, and clammy, pale or mottled skin.

Any child who is short of breath, has seizures, looks patchy, blue, or pale, or has a rash that doesn’t go away despite pressing, may have sepsis.

Symptoms that may occur in children under five include not feeding, repeated vomiting, or being without a diaper or a wet diaper for 12 hours in a row.

read more:
Antibiotic resistance deaths rise after pandemic
Antibiotic prices ‘rise to take advantage’ of demand

High-profile cases raise awareness

Earlier this year, actor Jason Watkins described the night in 2011 when his two-year-old daughter Maude died of sepsis, with doctors saying she had a bad cold and croup. She was discharged from hospital.

The BAFTA-winning star of The Crown and his wife Clara have made a documentary about their deaths to raise awareness of the deadly infection.

The UK Sepsis Trust has previously said the condition would affect 245,000 people die every year in the UK and 48,000 lose their lives.

in August, Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden reveals She developed sepsis after her first round of chemotherapy for breast cancer.

In the new study, data on 224,000 sepsis cases in England between January 2019 and June 2022 was compared with more than 1.3 million patients without sepsis.

The findings were published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.