Sepsis, especially severe sepsis, is a common and major cause of
admission to the intensive care unit and is also an expensive and
frequently fatal condition.11,16 Since the 1990s, the amount of new
antibiotics has plummeted and the amount of antibiotic-resistant
infections has risen, which has decreased the effective treatment of
many disorders, including sepsis.17 In the U.S., sepsis is especially
common in the elderly and is likely to increase in incidence
substantially as the population ages.16,18 Age has been shown to be
an independent predictor of sepsis-related mortality in the U.S.
population.18 Likewise, in mainland China, we also find this
correlation between age and mortality from sepsis. Among adults,
the sepsis mortality starts to rise from 55 years of age, dramatically
increases from 75 years of age onward, and finally reaches the peak
in the 85 age group.