Nova Scotia is improving its methods for early detection of sepsis, a life-threatening condition that occurs when the immune system reacts to infection by attacking the organs.

Research Highlights: After hospital discharge, people hospitalized for sepsis or who developed it while hospitalized had a 38% higher risk of rehospitalization for all causes and a 43% higher risk ...

In 2009, more than 30,000 sepsis cases required hospitalization in Canada. Research shows that, typically, more than 30 per cent of them die from the condition or a related one, known as septic shock.

More information: In-Hospital vs 30-Day Sepsis Mortality at US Safety-Net and Non–Safety-Net Hospitals, JAMA Network Open (2024).

Thirty-day hospital readmission was observed in 1,674 survivors, or 23.6% of the study population, and sepsis was often the reason behind this, occurring in 68.3% of readmitted patients.

In a study of 714 adult patients treated for sepsis in the emergency department, researchers found that older age and certain health conditions were responsible for sepsis-related death.

For example, in New York, sepsis regulations mandate reporting of risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality, and hospitals with lower or higher than expected in-hospital mortality rates are publicly ...