Sepsis-related mortality in China: a descriptive analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Sepsis-related mortality in China requires population-level analysis for effective intervention planning.
• Understanding the epidemiology of sepsis is vital for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and analyze sepsis-related mortality across China.
• To provide data for assessing and planning interventional strategies for sepsis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of multiple cause of death (MCOD) data from China's national mortality surveillance system (NMSS).
• Inclusion of sepsis-related deaths from 605 disease surveillance points (DSPs) covering over 323 million people.
• Estimation of age-standardized mortality rates and national death estimates using 2010 and 2015 census data.

Main Results:

• In 2015, the standardized sepsis-related mortality rate was 66.7 deaths per 100,000 population, estimating over 1 million national deaths.
• Significant geographic variations in sepsis mortality were observed.
• Male sex, increasing age, and comorbidities were associated with higher mortality, while higher income and education levels were associated with lower mortality.

Conclusions:

• Sepsis-related mortality in China is substantial and exhibits significant variation based on socioeconomic factors.
• The findings highlight the need for targeted public health interventions addressing socioeconomic disparities to reduce sepsis burden.