Deaths from severe sepsis due to care failures, report claims

摘要

FAILURE TO diagnose and provide rapid treatment for severe sepsis is leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of UK patients each year, research by the health service ombudsman has revealed. The ombudsman's first clinical report estimates that 37,000 people die from the infection annually. The report focuses on the deaths of ten patients who did not receive the care and treatment they needed within the first few hours of their arrival at hospital. The case studies concern a range of patients, from a child of eight years to a 75-year-old man, and highlight failings in initial assessments and delays in the administration of antibiotics.