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Septicemia diagnoses dramatically increased among military personnel
Primary septicemia diagnoses increased by nearly 600% among military personnel during a recent 8-year period, according to study findings published in the Medical Surveillance
Monthly Report.
The researchers reported that 3,360 active component service members who had been hospitalized from 2000 to 2012 carried a diagnosis of septicemia on their record. There were 1,395 diagnoses identified as septicemia recorded in the primary diagnostic position. Also during that time period, there were 1,033 diagnoses of septicemia in the secondary diagnostic position.
A 33% increase in primary septicemia diagnoses occurred from 2000 to 2004. A 579% increase occurred from 2004 to 2012.
An increase of 345% occurred for secondary diagnoses of septicemia from 2000 to 2011. However, there was a 24% decrease in secondary septicemia diagnoses from 2011 to 2012.
From 2000 to 2005, annual rates remained stable for both women and men. However, after 2005, the rate increased by 430% in women and by 227% in men.
Among service members in the oldest and youngest age groups, women were at greater risk for septicemia than men. Personnel younger than 20 years (incidence rate rate=1.8) and older than 45 years (incidence rate rate=2.7) demonstrated the highest overall incidence rates. The Marine Corps demonstrated the highest overall rate of the services (incidence rate ratio=2.2).
The disease occurred most frequently with pneumonia and infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, according to the results. Complications of surgical/medical procedures were the most frequent primary diagnosis among septicemia cases, at 18.3%. This was followed by pneumonias (17.8%), skin/subcutaneous tissue infections (9.2%) and injuries 8%, according to the findings.
ICD-9 codes failed to indicate a specific etiologic agent for most of the cases. However, when an agent was identified, it was most likely to be Staphylococcus aureus (1.9 per 100,000 person-years) or Escherichia coli (0.7 per 100,000 person-years). Streptococcal infections also occurred frequently with septicemia.
Further results indicated that 88.3% of patients returned to duty upon being discharged from the hospital, whereas 6.8% were transferred or discharged to another facility, and 3.3% died.
A 4% overall mortality rate was reported for patients hospitalized with septicemia. However, the mortality rate was 5.1% among infections caused by gram-negative bacteria.
Regarding the increased incidence of septicemia infections, the researchers wrote that, “This trend correlates with increases in reported cases of septicemia in the US general population.”
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