The long term effects of sepsis
Many patients who survive a sepsis related hospital admission face a difficult path to recovery following their initial discharge from hospital. Survivors can experience physical problems such as pain, balance problems and muscle loss. Emotional problems such as anxiety and depression are also common. For people admitted to critical care, these issues can also lead to considerable consequences for the healthcare system and society. For example, up to 30% of patients admitted to critical care will need to be readmitted to hospital within 90 days.
Jo McPeake, Professor of Nursing at THIS Institute said:
The impact that sepsis has on people, society and healthcare systems highlights the need to prioritise research related to its causes, diagnosis and treatment.
Jo has been working with Sepsis Research (FEAT) and the James Lind Alliance on research to identify the key priorities for future sepsis research in the UK. To coincide with World Sepsis Day, the UK James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for sepsis research has published its work identifying the top ten research priorities for sepsis research, which you can read here:
Jo says, “I was delighted to co-lead this priority setting exercise with Sepsis Research (FEAT) and the James Lind Alliance. Working with over 1000 healthcare professionals and members of the public, this list of research priorities for sepsis will hopefully help researchers prioritise what matters to the people who need the research most. We hope this list will lead to research which ultimately saves lives and improves outcomes.”