Epidemiology - Sepsis and Septic Shock

The incidence of severe sepsis and septic shock in the United States continues to increase, with >750,000 cases each year contributing to >200,000 deaths.
Invasive bacterial infections are a prominent cause of death around the world, especially among young children.
Sepsis-related incidence and mortality rates increase with age and preexisting comorbidity, with two-thirds of cases occurring in pts with significant underlying disease.
The increasing incidence of sepsis has been attributable to the aging of the population, longer survival of pts with chronic diseases, a relatively high frequency of sepsis among AIDS pts, and medical treatments that circumvent host defenses (e.g., immunosuppressive agents, indwelling catheters, and mechanical devices).