Poor people reportedly more likely to die from sepsis

Sepsis, one of the UK’s biggest killers, causes an estimated 48,000 deaths in Britain each year. Research from the University of Manchester has reported that certain groups of people are more likely to die from the condition than the general population; one of which is those living in poverty.

Analysis between January 2019 and June 2022 has found that the most deprived people are twice as likely to die from sepsis within 30 days, amongst 248,767 non-COVID cases.

In addition to this, amongst the findings was that those with learning disabilities are almost 4x more likely to get sepsis, with Professor Tjeerd van Staa (co-author) saying: “This study shows socioeconomic deprivation, comorbidity and learning disabilities are associated with an increased risk of developing non-COVID-19 related sepsis and 30-day mortality in England”.

Dr Ron Daniels, founder and joint chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: “This important study reminds us that socioeconomic status and the presence of underlying illness, which are themselves often interlinked and additionally linked to ethnicity, are at play in determining inequality in the risk of developing non-Covid sepsis.”.

Sources:

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/study-links-deprivation-with-risk-of-dying-from-sepsis/#:~:text=The%20most%20socioeconomically%20deprived%20groups,2022%20matched%20with%201%2C346%2C166%20controls.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/nov/23/poor-people-much-more-likely-die-sepsis-study