Sepsis linked to 1-in-5 deaths worldwide: study
Sepsis played a direct role in the deaths of 11 million people in 2017, almost twice as many as previously estimated, according to a study published Thursday. That represents one death for every five cases of the condition, and one-in-five deaths from all causes worldwide, researchers reported in The Lancet medical journal. Sepsis occurs when a person’s organs cease to function properly as the result of an out-of-control immune response to infection. Even if the condition doesn’t kill, it can create lifelong disabilities. Hardest hit were children under five years old, who accounted for more than 40 percent of all cases. Some 85 percent of cases in 2017 were in low- or middle-income countries, with the highest burden in sub-Saharan Africa, the South Pacific, and Asia.
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