For the study, a team from the University of Michigan "analyzed data from 1,194 elderly patients who were hospitalized with severe sepsis and compared them with 4,517 elderly people who experienced a hospitalization but did not have sepsis." Then, after "examining data from up to eight years after the hospitalization, the researchers found sepsis patients had a t hreefold higher risk for developing cognitive problems, such as forgetfulness, compared with the people who were hospitalized for other reasons."

The study "found that even older adults who were functioning independently before sepsis often came home from the hospital needing full time care because they now had pre-dementia," the CNN (10/26, Wade) "The Chart" blog reported. Notably, "even healthy, mentally sharp adults experienced significant declines, suggest that the sepsis itself and the treatment strategies afterwards may be playing a major role in the downturns in health."

HealthDay (10/26, Preidt) reported, "This largely invisible problem swells the rolls of nursing homes and puts an increased burden on caregivers and families, as well as increasing the rate of depression and death among the elderly, the researchers said." In addition to loss of cognitive function, "severe sepsis survivors also had a higher rate of new limitations in physical functioning than those without hospitalized without sepsis, with an additional average increase of 1.5 things they could no longer do per patient among those who had no or mild to moderate functional limitations before they developed sepsis."

According to Medscape (10/26, Brooks), a commentary accompanying the study pointed "out that the new deficits following sepsis were relatively more severe among patients who were in better health beforehand, 'possibly because there was less room for further deterioration among patients who already had poor physical or cognitive function prior to the sepsis episode.'"

WebMD (10/26, Boyles) explained, "About 750,000 people in the United States develop sepsis each year." Also known as "blood poisoning, sepsis occurs when the bloodstream is overwhelmed with bacteria, usually in response to the body's attempt to fight severe infection." Patients suffering from sepsis "usually develop very low blood pressure, or shock. In very severe cases, small blood clots can also form, shutting down vital organs." The condition has a death rate of approximately 25%. MedPage Today (10/26, Phend) also covered the story.

Related Links:

- "Sepsis in elderly individuals can have lasting impact," Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times, October 26, 2010.
- "Brain Deficits Higher in Seniors Who Survive Blood Poisoning," Robert Preidt, HealthDay, October 26, 2010.
- "Severe sepsis can lead to memory problems," Leslie Wade, CNN, October 26, 2010.
- "Cognitive and Functional Decline Often Follow Severe Sepsis," Megan Brooks, Medscape, October 26, 2010.
- "Sepsis Linked to Dementia in Elderly," Salynn Boyles, WebMD Health News, October 26, 2010.
- "Sepsis Leaves Long Legacy on Brain and Body," Crystal Phend, MedPage Today, October 26, 2010.