Canadian mortality rates for sepsis very high

Canadian mortality rates for sepsis are at an alarming level, and are three times as high for heart attack patients, according to health officials there.

More than 30 percent of the 30,500 patients hospitalized with sepsis die, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, as opposed to 18 percent of the 30,000 stroke patients and 9.1 percent of 49,000 heart attack patients. This is true despite the fact that overall hospital mortality ratios seem to be falling in Canada, health officials said.

The high mortality rate may be in part due to last-minute diagnosis of this condition. Almost a quarter of sepsis patients in Canada are diagnosed after being admitted to the hospital.

To find out more about sepsis in Canada:
- read this UPI piece

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