3 ms·

Part of the issue is assigning "cause" (singular) of death. I'm still kind of shocked that there isn't mandatory reporting of bacterial vectors (when identifie

by apathy 10y ago

Part of the issue is assigning "cause" (singular) of death. I'm still kind of shocked that there isn't mandatory reporting of bacterial vectors (when identified) the way there is for (eg) tumors. Sepsis is common enough that positive identification of the primary strain(s) involved could be a huge unfunded mandate, though, and judging by the way Zika is going, unfunded is being optimistic.

danvayn 10y ago
I wouldn't say sepsis is that common. More with the elderly and alcoholic crowds, but not generally speaking
- openasocket 10y ago
  From the wikipedia page, it seems more common than you would think. In the US it is the 10th most common cause of death, and globally kills 200k a year.
- apathy 10y ago
  Fastest growing source of CMS billings over the past 10 years and one of the top 20 causes of death overall. In the US, it seems that nosocomial cases are rising faster than expected (larger proportion of the total) which is especially worrying. As far as the "old" crowd -- who gets sick most often?! It certainly isn't strapping young men and women, not in any hospital I've ever been in outside of a war zone.