Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40663286›Full record

ArticleInfection2025

Rising rates of sepsis in England: an ecological study.

Victoria B Allen, Katie Bechman, Mark D Russell, Maryam A Adas, Anna L Goodman, Mark J McPhail, Sam Norton, James B Galloway

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infection, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Sepsis, Patient Monitoring and Nursing Research.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Victoria B AllenCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, King's College London, London, UK. victoria.1.allen@kcl.ac.uk.
Katie BechmanCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, King's College London, London, UK.
Mark D RussellCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, King's College London, London, UK.
Maryam A AdasCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, King's College London, London, UK.
Anna L GoodmanDepartment of Infection, King's College London, London, UK.
Mark J McPhailInstitute of Liver Studies, King's College London, London, UK.
Sam NortonCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, King's College London, London, UK.
James B GallowayCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, King's College London, London, UK.

Funding

National Institute for Health and Care Research NIHR303293
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSepsis is life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. A contemporary overview of sepsis epidemiology in England is long overdue. This study provides an update on the incidence of sepsis-coded hospital admissions and mortality following the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the relative contribution of different bacterial pathogens to sepsis-coded admissions.

methodsWe undertook a descriptive study of all hospital admissions from April 1998 to March 2024 using routinely collected health data. Information on sepsis admission episodes, causative pathogens, age, sex, length-of-stay and mortality were collected.

resultsSepsis-coded hospital admissions increased from 27.9 admissions per 100,000 in 1998 to 210.4 in 2023, a 7.5-fold increase. The incidence of sepsis-coded admissions due to most pre-specified pathogens of interest increased. The largest increases were seen for sepsis due to Enterococci, Streptococcus pyogenes, gram-negative bacteria, Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria spp. Sepsis due to meningococcus decreased. The percentage of patients aged ≥ 75 years admitted with sepsis increased from 32.4 to 52.5% of sepsis cases. Median length-of-stay was 6.1 days. Sepsis-coded admissions and mortality decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. These have now returned to pre-pandemic levels.

conclusionThe recorded incidence of sepsis-coded hospital admissions has risen. This may have been impacted by coding changes and improved disease recognition. The decrease in meningococcal sepsis may reflect the success of vaccination campaigns. Further research is needed to explore concurrent trends in sepsis severity, predict who is at greatest risk and improve prevention efforts.

Indexed as

COVID-19SepsisAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overChildChild, PreschoolEnglandFemaleHospitalizationHumansIncidenceInfantLength of StayMaleIncidenceLength of stayPublic healthRoutinely collected health dataSepsis

Identifiers

PMID40663286
PMCPMC12675601

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.