Sepsis can kill even previously healthy people if recognized too late, finds study

A recent University of Michigan-led study finds that ten percent of patients hospitalized with sepsis were previously healthy—and many of those who ultimately died did so because it was too late to intervene.

The work, led by Rachel Hechtman, M.D., Hallie Prescott, M.D., and their team, focused on healthy patients as a way to tease out the effects of advanced age, comorbidities and other common risk factors on sepsis outcomes.

Using data from 66 hospitals in Michigan from more than 25,000 patients with sepsis, the team identified a subset as previously healthy, lacking major health conditions such as cancer, chronic pulmonary disease and heart failure.

Previously healthy patients tended to have less organ failure upon arrival at the hospital and more COVID-19 related sepsis (the study included data from 11/2020 – 10/2024).

Treatment for these patients differed as well, with less adherence to sepsis management practices, such as blood culture collection and timely delivery of antibiotics.

Those who unfortunately died tended to be older, and had more acute respiratory dysfunction, altered mental status and shock upon admission to the hospital.

During their course of treatment, these patients also received vasopressors and invasive mechanical ventilation more often than survivors, notes the authors.

Most of their deaths were deemed to be unpreventable due to how sick they were when they arrived at the hospital.

Overall, almost 10% of previously healthy patients with sepsis died within 90 days of hospitalization.

The study, notes the team, identifies system level opportunities to reduce the rate of death in patients with sepsis.

“Efforts to increase sepsis awareness among the public and first responders would benefit everyone. Some of these tragic deaths among previously healthy people might have been avoided if their illness had been prevented through vaccination or recognized and treated early before they got sick enough to come to the hospital,” said Hechtman.

Additional authors: Megan E. Heath, Ph.D.; Jennifer K. Horowitz, M.A.; Elizabeth McLaughlin, M.S., RN; Patricia J. Posa, R.N., B.S.N., M.S.A., CCRN; John Blamoun, M.D.; Paul Bozyk, M.D.; Megan Cahill, D.O., M.B.A., FACOEP; Rania Esteitie, M.D., FCCP, ATSF; Kevin Furlong, D.O.; Namita Jayaprakash, MB, BcH BAO, MRCEM; Jessica Jones, PharmD; Maximiliano Tamae-Kakazu, M.D.; Joan Nagelkirk, M.D.; Thomas Pfotenhauer, D.O.; Derek C. Angus, M.D., M.P.H., FRCP; Scott A. Flanders, M.D.; Elizabeth S. Munroe, M.D.

Funding/disclosures: This study was supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network as part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Value Partnerships program. R. K. H. and H. C. P. were supported by the National Institutes of Health [Grant T32HL007749-31].

Paper cited: “Epidemiologic Characteristics and Management of Sepsis Among Previously Healthy Patients,” CHEST Critical Care. DOI: 10.1016/j.chstcc.2025.100148