Sepsis Alliance Updates Key Number of Annual Sepsis Casualties

Sepsis Alliance has updated a key statistic used to highlight the burden of sepsis in the United States. The organization is now emphasizing that an estimated 350,000 adults die from sepsis every year in the U.S. That is one every 90 seconds and more than those who die from stroke, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and opioid overdoses combined. This number includes 270,000 adults who die from sepsis in-hospital and an estimated 80,000 adults who are discharged to hospice with sepsis.  

Formerly, Sepsis Alliance shared that approximately 270,000 people die from sepsis annually in the U.S., which did not include hospice deaths. The new number reflects a combination of deaths in-hospital and deaths after release to hospice, which paints a more complete picture of the burden of sepsis.  

To learn more about the burden of sepsis and read other startling facts about the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, please view our fact sheet.