Surviving sepsis, a severe bloodstream infection, is a battle in itself, but new research shows that the fight often continues after leaving the hospital. A recent study has found that nearly one in four sepsis survivors is readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, often due to a recurrence of the infection.

The study, which included over 7,100 patients treated for sepsis, revealed that 23.6% of them were readmitted within a month of being discharged home. This finding is particularly concerning because these patients were initially deemed well enough to return home or receive home health care. However, many experienced another episode of sepsis or another infection, necessitating their return to the hospital.

Priscilla Hartley, an assistant professor in nursing at Augusta University in Athens, Georgia, and co-author of the study, emphasized the need for improved post-discharge care. "We must find ways to close the gap between hospitals and all discharge settings if we wish to continue to improve the odds of surviving sepsis," Hartley said in a news release from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).

The study, published on September 1 in the American Journal of Critical Care, highlights the ongoing risks that sepsis survivors face. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), sepsis is a form of blood infection that often arises in individuals already weakened by another illness, such as pneumonia or a urinary tract infection. Sepsis can progress rapidly, and approximately one in five people with sepsis will die from the infection.

The study tracked the 30-day outcomes of 7,107 adults treated for sepsis at a Boston hospital between 2008 and 2019. All patients were discharged to their homes, with some receiving home health care. Of these patients, 1,674 (23.6%) were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Alarmingly, more than two-thirds (68.3%) of the readmitted patients had another episode of sepsis, and over 30% of those readmitted faced multiple hospitalizations, usually due to recurring infections.

The researchers pointed out that many patients were discharged to "inappropriate settings," increasing their risk of re-infection. Hartley and her team stress the importance of identifying patients at the highest risk of readmission to ensure they are discharged to appropriate settings where they can continue their recovery safely. This approach could guide necessary interventions and follow-up care to reduce the likelihood of hospital readmission.

The study underscores the critical need for improved strategies to support sepsis survivors after they leave the hospital, to reduce the high rates of readmission and improve long-term outcomes for these vulnerable patients