In this cohort, the major risk factors for septicemia death were similar to those for other causes of death, there was approximately a 2-fold Black-White disparity in septicemia deaths, and the strongest mediators of this disparity was across domains of socioeconomic status.

Of 206,691 adult survey participants, 1,523 experienced a septicemia death. Factors associated with > 2-fold larger hazard of septicemia death included: need for help with activities of daily living; self-reported ‘poor’ and ‘fair’ general health; lower education; lower poverty-index ratio; self-reported emphysema, liver condition, stroke, and weak or failing kidneys; numerous measures of disability; general health worse than the year prior; > 1 pack per day cigarette use; and higher utilization of healthcare.

A longitudinal study of adult participants in the 1999–2005 National Health Interview Survey with data linked to the 1999–2011 National Death Index.

Read More