Understanding the epidemiology of Sepsis in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults

Aim: To determine community based risk factors, incidence, health care resource use and mortality related to sepsis for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-indigenous adults admitted to hospital for sepsis in New South Wales.

Methodology: 

Sepsis cases will be identified using established ICD-10 sepsis diagnosis coding methods.  We estimate the cohort will include 20,000 individuals with an incident hospital admission for sepsis and that at least 2% of the cohort are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.   

This is an epidemiological study using the 45 and Up Study database. The 45 and Up study is a prospective cohort study that recruited over 267,000 New South Wales residents. Study participants completed questionnaires at recruitment with socio-demographic and lifestyle information and agreed to have their data linked to other data collections including administrative hospital data, mortality data, Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Sepsis cases within the cohort will be identified through a search for established clinical and pathogen-based ICD-10 sepsis diagnosis codes.