Patients with existing health issues are at a higher risk of sepsis, researchers say

Being poor or having a pre-existing health condition raises the risk of sepsis, researchers said yesterday.

A history of extensive antibiotic exposure or a learning disability also increases the danger for individuals.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition in which the body overreacts to an infection and starts attacking its own tissues and organs.

The latest research, led by a team at the University of Manchester, examined NHS data on 224,000 cases of sepsis in England between January 2019 and June 2022.

It found that those from the most deprived communities were 80 per cent more likely to develop sepsis than counterparts in the wealthiest areas. The risk for people with a learning disability was much higher again.

Higher risks were seen in relation to cancer, diabetes, smoking and weight issues (Stock Image)

The same was true for victims of chronic liver disease and chronic kidney disease. Higher risks were seen in relation to cancer, diabetes, smoking and weight issues.

Co-author Professor Tjeerd van Staa said: ‘This research underscores the urgent need for sepsis risk prediction models to account for chronic disease status, deprivation status, and learning disabilities, along with infection severity. There is an urgent need to improve the prevention of sepsis, including more precise targeting of antimicrobials to higher-risk patients.’

Co-author Dr Colin Brown, sepsis chief at the UK Health Security Agency, said: ‘Tackling inequalities is a core part of our public health approach and a deeper understanding of who serious bacterial infections affect will help us best target interventions to address them.’

The Manchester study appeared in the journal eClinicalMedicine.

The Mail has been campaigning for better diagnosis and treatment of c. The UK Sepsis Trust said it affects 245,000 patients and claims 48,000 lives a year.

In adults, sepsis may feel like flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection at first. Early symptoms include fever, chills and shivering, a fast heartbeat and quick breathing.