Epidemiology of Sepsis in adults in Primary Care: an exploratory study using the Hampshire Health Record

Blood poisoning or septicaemia is a serious infection with a high mortality. Spotting this illness early improves the outlook for patients.  Most research has been done on patients once they arrive in hospital but it is important to help GPs recognise patients early in order for them to get prompt attention. Most patients seen with infection in primary care do not go on to develop this serious infection and so spotting serious illness is difficult. This research aims to identify features of patients more likely to develop serious infection by using a large collection of data held on patients in Hampshire and linked to the hospital records. This allows us to look for predictive features in those seen by GPs with suspected infections. We will also use the linked records to look back to the GP records to distinguish features of those who do not see their GP before admission or in whom infection is not suspected at all when they consult.

Amount awarded: £14,397