Смертность от сепсиса у пожилых американцев с гриппом и пневмонией выросла на 18,8% с 1999 по 2022 год

Long-term data reveal a persistent rise in sepsis-related mortality among older adults with influenza or pneumonia, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to study findings published in Medicina de Familia — SEMERGEN. Older individuals experience disproportionately higher sepsis-related mortality compared with younger demographics, with particularly poor outcomes from sepsis related to influenza or pneumonia. There is, however, limited information on recent trends in sepsis-related mortality in older adults with these particular conditions. To bridge this knowledge gap, researchers conducted a retrospective, population-based study. They collected information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database. The analysis included 730,918 sepsis-related deaths that occurred in the United States between 1999 and 2022 among adults who were at least 65 years old and had influenza or pneumonia. Targeted prevention, earlier detection, improved access to care, and equitable resource allocation are needed. Joinpoint regression analysis revealed a stable age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) from 1999 to 2011 (P =.30), followed by a significant increase in AAMR from 2011 to 2022 (annual percentage change, 3.63%; 95% CI, 2.20-5.07; P <.01). Overall, AAMR rose from 68.96 to 81.89 per 100,000, representing an 18.8% relative increase across the study period. The highest annual rate occurred in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic (98.81 per 100,000 in 2021). Men, individuals aged 85 years and older, those living in the South, and those living outside of metropolitan areas had the highest sepsis-related death rates. There were racial/ethnic differences as well, with non-Hispanic Black or African American individuals having the highest AAMR among all groups. Average annual percentage changes ranged from a low of 0.46% among non-Hispanic Asians or Pacific Islanders to a high of 1.99% in Hispanic or Latino individuals. Trends varied widely across the country, with the greatest reduction in AAMR over time (per 100,000 people) observed in Washington, DC (-63.85), followed by Rhode Island (-60.08) and New Jersey (-33.64). The largest increase occurred in Kentucky (76.98), followed by Oklahoma (67.20) and Mississippi (46.52). Study limitations include the reliance on diagnostic coding on death certificates to determine cause of death, which could lead to misclassification or underreporting; the inability to assess patients with influenza and pneumonia separately; and the use of aggregate data, leading to an inability to interpret the findings at an individual level. According to the researchers, “Targeted prevention, earlier detection, improved access to care, and equitable resource allocation are needed.” This article originally appeared on Infectious Disease Advisor References: Han Y, Xu Q, Shi G, Yang W, Wang L, Yi M. Trends and disparities in influenza and pneumonia associated sepsis mortality among older adults in the United States, 1999-2022: a retrospective population-based study. Semergen. Published online July 3, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.semerg.2026.102792