1 in 4 Adult Deaths in Hong Kong Is Associated With Sepsis: CUHK

The Faculty of Medicine at CUHK studied the electronic medical records of more than 13 million adults seeking treatment in public hospitals from 2009 to 2018 and found that one-quarter of all adult deaths in Hong Kong were related to sepsis. The trends in both adult sepsis morbidity and mortality are also on the rise during that decade under evaluation. Courtesy of CUHK

A study by the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK found that a quarter of all adult deaths in Hong Kong were related to sepsis. In the decade from 2009 to 2018, adult sepsis morbidity and mortality both increased steadily.

To understand the impact of sepsis on the entire population in Hong Kong, CUHK studied the electronic medical records of more than 13 million adults seeking treatment in public hospitals from 2009 to 2018 and conducted a full-scale data analysis. It was found that the incidence of sepsis increased by 8 percent each year, from 624 cases per 100,000 people in 2009 to 759 cases per 100,000 people in 2018. The mortality rate from sepsis also increases by 9 percent a year. It increased from 142 cases per 100,000 people in 2009 to 156 cases per 100,000 in 2018.