Introduction

Sepsis- the life-threatening response of the body to an infection- is one of the more common reasons for presentation to an Acute Medical Unit, and a major health and economic burden to our healthcare system, with an estimated 37,000 deaths occurring annually in the U.K. In the United States, recent evidence suggests that the incidence of sepsis has been rising by between 8 and 13% per annum over the last decade, and that it is now higher than that of Acute Coronary Syndrome.1 Across Europe, the cost of a hospital admission for sepsis (due to the frequent need for prolonged Critical Care admission) has been estimated at between 25,000 and 55,000 Euros.2 For the NHS, this means an estimated expenditure of £2.5 billion per year.

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References

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