Risk Of Sepsis Is Underestimated In Switzerland, Warn Experts

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) In Switzerland, over 20,000 people are hospitalised with sepsis every year. Around 4,000 die as a result, a new report from the Swiss Sepsis Programme shows. This content was published on September 11, 2025 - 11:20 3 minutes Keystone-SDA

• Deutsch de Sepsis-Gefahr wird laut Fachleuten in der Schweiz unterschätzt Original Read more: Sepsis-Gefahr wird laut Fachleuten in der Schweiz unterschätz

The Swiss Sepsis Programme (SSP) and the Swiss Federal Quality Commission (EQK) announced on Thursday that sepsis, which is often referred to colloquially as blood poisoning, is therefore just as serious and frequent a medical emergency as a stroke or heart attack. Around 2,500 people die from strokes and heart attacks in Switzerland every year.

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“The danger of sepsis is still underestimated,” said Nora Lüthi, lead author of the SSP report, in the press release.

The number of sepsis deaths has remained largely unchanged in recent years despite advanced care. All age groups are affected, but especially infants and the elderly.

High costs

Around 40% of hospital cases with a sepsis diagnosis are treated in an intensive care unit. According to the report, the average cost of treating a sepsis case is around CHF50,000. This means that Swiss sepsis cases cost over one billion Swiss francs per year, according to the report.

If the costs of rehabilitation, follow-up care and the treatment of long-term complications are extrapolated over the following three years, the direct costs in Switzerland are estimated to double, i.e. to CHF2 billion per year, the report continued.

The Swiss Sepsis Program is the joint initiative of the University Children's Hospital Zurich, the University Hospitals of Bern (Inselspital) and Vaud (CHUV). It is financed by the Federal Quality Commission for the Healthcare System.

Hygiene and early diagnosis

Sepsis is commonly referred to as blood poisoning. However, this term is not medically correct, as the blood is not“poisoned”. Instead, germs spread through the blood vessels in the body. In principle, any infection can develop into septicaemia.

The best way to prevent infections and thus septicaemia is through hygiene, as the University Hospital Zurich explains on its website. It is also important to recognise the first symptoms quickly and treat them in a targeted manner. Symptoms include sudden onset of confusion and drowsiness, low blood pressure and accelerated breathing.

Adapted from German by DeepL/ac

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