Indigenous Australians critically ill with sepsis: Characteristics, outcomes, and areas for improvement.

Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have amongst the highest incidence of sepsis globally.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics, short- and long-term outcomes of non-Indigenous, Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander Australians admitted with sepsis to an intensive care unit (ICU) to inform healthcare outcome improvement.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 500 consecutive sepsis admissions to the Cairns Hospital ICU compared clinical characteristics, short-term (before ICU discharge) and long-term (2000 days posthospital discharge) outcomes.