Sepsis Skyrockets among the Elderly

In the last decade, hospitalizations for sepsis have more than doubled - and two thirds of those cases were in people 65 and older, according to researchers at the CDC.

Sepsis is caused when bacteria from an infection in the skin, lungs, abdomen or urinary tracts seeps into the blood stream. It can quickly become life threatening, with almost 20 percent of patients over 65 dying at the hospital.

The CDC researchers also found that sepsis rates climbed quickly as people aged. For example, hospitalization for sepsis among 80-year-olds was 30 times higher than for people under the age of 65.

The researchers noted that their discoveries emphasize the need for immediately treating suspected blood infections with broad-spectrum antibiotics rather than waiting for a firm diagnosis.

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