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Writer's pictureManasa Garine

Are you at risk of Sepsis ?

Sepsis is a Life-threatening condition caused by body's response to an infection. Infection that leads to sepsis most often start in the lungs, urinary tract, skin or gastrointestinal tract. When there is an infection in body, immune system responds by releasing proteins and other chemicals to fight the infection. Sepsis occurs when this response gets out of control, triggering extensive inflammation.


Sepsis is not contagious but an infection can lead to sepsis. Sepsis is caused by bacterial infection and also other infections including COVID-19, influenza and fungal infections can lead to Sepsis.


Symptoms of Sepsis

  • High heart rate or weak pulse

  • Fever, shivering/chills

  • Confusion or disorientation

  • shortness of breath

  • Extreme pain or discomfort

  • Clammy or sweaty skin


Demographic analysis

By examining demographic data, it is possible to identify common risk factors associated with sepsis.

Analyzing the age distribution of patients can provide insights into which age groups are most susceptible to sepsis. It helps identify if certain age ranges are more vulnerable or if there are age-specific patterns.


Understanding the gender distribution among sepsis patients can help identify any disparities or differences in sepsis incidence rates between males and females. It can also provide insights into potential risk factors associated with gender.


In this analysis a dataset of 40,336 patients have taken to analyze the age and gender distribution of sepsis patients and non-sepsis patients (ages 15 and above patients considered in this analysis)


Here Sankey chart is used to represent the distribution of age and gender. This chart will visually display the flow of individuals across different age groups.


From the above analysis it is observed that people who are at the higher risk include between the ages of 50-70, around 50-60 percent of all bacteremia cases occur in older adults which can lead to sepsis.


In this analysis it is observed that 19.07% of the patients are in the age bin 50 and 23.63% of the patients are in the age bin 60 and 21.24% of the patients in the age bin 70.


From the data set of 40,336 patients, there are 2932 sepsis and onset sepsis patients. It is observed that

12.07% are in the age bin of 40

18.28% in the age bin 50

23.53% in the age bin 60

22.71% in the age bin 70

12.24% in the age bin 80


Who is at risk for sepsis?

The weakened immune system and preexisting chronic illness like diabetes, kidney disease, cancer or high blood pressure can put anyone to increased risk of sepsis.

  • Adults 65 or older

Risk factors pertinent to seniors include increased use of medication, malnutrition and imbalances in intestinal micobiota. Sepsis symptoms like confusion and disorientation may be particularly difficult to identify in older adults with dementia.

  • People with weekend immune systems

  • People with recent severe illness of hospitalization

  • People who survived sepsis

  • people exposed to invasive devices, like intravenous Cathers or breathing tubes.

  • Children younger than one

Neonatal sepsis is a leading cause of infant death. Low birth weight and premature babies are more susceptible to late onset sepsis because their immune systems are immature. With early diagnosis and treatment, most babies can recover completely and have no other problems. Universal maternal screening and proper neonatal testing have significantly reduced the risk of neonatal sepsis.


How to prevent Sepsis

  • Stay up to date on vaccinations.

  • Keep distance from people outside your household.

  • Wear a Mask

  • Practice good hygiene

  • Get immediate care if one develops signs of infection.

  • Every minute counts when it comes to sepsis treatment. The sooner the treatment, the better the outcome.

References:



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