Functional outcomes of general medical patients with severe sepsis.

Background: Severe sepsis is a common cause for admission to the general medical ward. Previous work has demonstrated substantial new long-term disability in patients with severe sepsis, but the short-term functional outcomes of patients admitted to the general medical floor -- where the majority of severe sepsis is treated -- are largely unknown.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed of patients initially admitted to non-ICU medical wards at a tertiary care academic medical center.

Sepsis after Scotland: enough with the averages, show us the effect modifiers.

Cuthbertson and colleagues demonstrate that survivors of severe sepsis face, in general continued ongoing high mortality and quite poor quality of life. This cohort caps the initial, problem-definition stage on long-term outcomes after critical illness. Having compellingly demonstrated the opportunities for improvements in outcomes, epidemiologic and behavioral research must now to turn to understanding the mechanisms by which these outcomes can be improved.

The epidemiology of acute organ system dysfunction from severe sepsis outside of the intensive care unit.

Background: Severe sepsis is a common, costly, and complex problem, the epidemiology of which has only been well studied in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, nearly half of all patients with severe sepsis are cared for outside the ICU.

Objective: To determine rates of infection and organ system dysfunction in patients with severe sepsis admitted to non-ICU services.