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To better understand sepsis-related deaths at six U.S. hospitals (3 tertiary care, 3 community hospitals), investigators reviewed the records of 568 patients who either died in the hospital or were discharged to hospice. Records were reviewed for cause of death, comorbidities, complications, and suboptimal aspects of sepsis care.
More than half the patients had sepsis; in 74% of them, sepsis was present at admission. Patients with sepsis were more likely to come from an acute rehabilitation center or long-term care facility and more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit. Sepsis was the immediate cause of death in 35% of patients and contributed to the deaths of another 8%. Suboptimal care, most often delay of >3 hours in administr…