Sepsis killed many more people than cancer in 2017: Lancet study

Sepsis was the reason for one in five deaths globally in 2017; that is twice the number of deaths attributed to it in the past. Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle, US, looked at medical records from 195 nations and analyzed 109 million individual death records, to report that 11 million people lost their lives to sepsis in 2017. They published their findings online in  The Lancet  on 16 January. [caption id=“attachment_7920961” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Image source: Getty Images.[/caption]

What is sepsis?

When a microbe enters the body and threatens infection, the body releases a string of chemicals into our blood to fight it. At times this response goes into overdrive and attacks vital bodily functions. Diarrheal diseases and pneumonia are usually what set off sepsis. If the reaction is severe, then septic shock can set in wherein blood pressure drops precipitously and death can follow. It is known as a “silent killer” as it is difficult to diagnose and is a complication of an infection or disease. This partly explains the dramatic findings of the study: death reports don’t usually assign sepsis as the cause of death; the researchers had to employ sophisticated statistical and inferential models to arrive at their conclusions. Additionally, previous studies looked only at wealthier countries where cases of sepsis are less common. The data from  The Lancet  study shows that 85% of sepsis cases are in the developing world, with the highest concentration in Sub Saharan Africa. There is a silver lining, though: deaths from sepsis fell by half between 1990 and 2017. Improvements in vaccination, sanitation and antibacterial drugs contributed to this pattern. Despite this decline, though, deaths from sepsis are indefensibly high: the figure of 11 million in deaths makes it a bigger killer than cancer. Across the globe, diarrhoeal disease was the most common underlying cause of sepsis, and road traffic injuries the most common underlying injury. Maternal disorders were the most common non-communicable causes: indeed, most deaths occurred in children younger than five years. The study aimed to highlight the seriousness of sepsis. The hope is that the increased attention will encourage funding and stronger interventions to curtail preventable deaths. Sepsis occurs in places where infection is rampant, such as hospitals and poor areas with poor sanitation, dirty water and a lack of access to medication. And it is deadliest to those with compromised or poorly developed immunity. As a consequence, the very young and very old are especially susceptible.   Fundamental public health intervention steps need to be taken to reduce the incidence of sepsis. Robust vaccination drives, access to healthy drinking water, clean surroundings and nutritious food will go a long way in preventing a variety of issues.   The study is a commentary on the failings of the health infrastructure of poor countries and solidifies socioeconomic status as the prime indicator of health. Concerted action and political will are crucial to change the narrative of this predictable tale. For more information, read our article on   Sepsis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment _._ Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.