Sepsis Fact Sheet
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Here are some important facts about the state of sepsis in the United States and globally.

Sepsis in the United States

  • More than 1.5 million people in the United States develop sepsis each year.[i]
  • At least 350,000 people in the United States die each year from sepsis.[ii]
  • Sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals.[iii] As many of half of all patients who die in U.S. hospitals have sepsis.[iv]
  • Sepsis is increasing at a rate of 10.3% each year in the United States.[v]
  • One in five severe sepsis patients are readmitted to hospital within 30 days. Among those readmitted within 30 days, 66.9% had an infection and 40.3% had severe sepsis on readmission.[vi]
  • Sepsis begins outside the hospital for the vast majority ( 87%) of sepsis patients.[vii]
  • Sepsis is the most expensive condition treated un U.S. hospitals, costing nearly $24 billion annually. Sepsis is also the most expensive condition billed to Medicare.[viii]
  • The cost of sepsis is increasing annually by a rate of 11.9%.[ix]

Sepsis Around the World

  • Sepsis affects, at minimum, an estimated 30 million people around the world each year and results in at least 6 million deaths.[x]
  • In the developing world, sepsis accounts for 60-80% of lost lives per year, affecting more than 6 million newborns and children annually.[xi]

Sepsis and Children

  • Sepsis is the leading cause of death for infants and children worldwide.[xii]
  • 75,000 children in the United States are hospitalized each year with sepsis.[xiii]
  • Approximately 7,000 children in the United States die each year from sepsis.[xiv]
  • Every hour delay in treating a child with sepsis increases mortality by 8%.[xv]
  • The economic cost of treating pediatric sepsis in the United States cost $7.3 billion in 2016.[xvi]
  • 38% of children who survive sepsis sustain lifelong disabilities.[xvii]

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[i] https://www.cdc.gov/sepsis/datareports/index.html

[ii] https://www.cdc.gov/sepsis/datareports/index.html

[iii] https://www.cdc.gov/sepsis/datareports/index.html

[iv] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1873131

[v] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28903154

[vi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4537666/

[vii]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342771810_Assessment_of_Health_Care_Exposures_and_Outcomes_in_Adult_Patients_With_Sepsis_and_Septic_Shock

[viii] https://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb204-Most-Expensive-Hospital-Conditions.jsp

[ix] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24199255

[x] http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1707170#t=article

[xi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21897156

[xii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3916372/

[xiii] https://www.childrenshospitals.org/Quality-and-Performance/Quality-Improvement/Sepsis/Resources/Sepsis-Fact-Sheet

[xiv] https://www.childrenshospitals.org/Quality-and-Performance/Quality-Improvement/Sepsis/Resources/Sepsis-Fact-Sheet

[xv] https://www.childrenshospitals.org/Quality-and-Performance/Quality-Improvement/Sepsis/Resources/Sepsis-Fact-Sheet

[xvi] https: //www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pubmed/23897242