Can You Get Sepsis in the Hospital?

Fever, fast breathing, and lightheadedness are the main symptoms that Russ Kino, MD, medical director of the emergency management department at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, looks for in patients with a life-threatening infection called sepsis. 

“Sepsis is when there’s an infection in the body that has spread into the bloodstream, and it can be very dangerous,” Kino told Verywell. Part of that danger lies in the fact that sepsis causes collateral damage to vital organs. Infections that lead to sepsis typically start in the urinary tract, skin, lung, or GI system.

In the United States, 1.7 million adults develop sepsis every year.

“Sepsis contributes between a third to a half of all U.S. hospital deaths—more common than heart attack and stroke combined,” Hallie Prescott, MD, MSc, associate professor of internal medicine in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Michigan, told Verywell.

Since healthcare facilities are supposed to be clean, safe places where you go to get better, it might surprise you to learn that you can actually get sepsis while you’re in the hospital. In honor of Patient Safety Awareness Week, we’re bringing attention to this risk.

While most cases of sepsis start outside the hospital, roughly 15% of sepsis cases are acquired in the hospital, according to Prescott. Some research even suggests that sepsis death rates may be higher in people who developed the infection in the hospital compared to those who got it in a non-hospital setting.

While sepsis isn’t always avoidable, there are some proactive preventive steps patients and their families can take during a hospital stay.

Who Gets Sepsis?

Anyone can develop sepsis, but it usually happens to people with weak immune systems, Chris Seymour, MD, MSc, associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, told Verywell.

In immunocompromised people, the body tries to respond to the infection, but may not be able to contain it. “The immune system is dysregulated and starts to affect the other organs in the body that may be distant from where the site of the infection is,” said Seymour. “That’s what leads to sepsis syndrome.”

Sepsis is more common in people at extreme ages who get infections—think babies and older adults—and in people with conditions or treatments that dampen their immune system function, according to Prescott. A common example is a patient with cancer who is getting chemotherapy or someone with a chronic medical condition, like type 2 diabetes.

Another risk factor is having invasive procedures like surgery.

The insertion of catheters and the use of ventilators are also risk factors for developing sepsis because these procedures can introduce bacteria or other pathogens into the body.

How Do Hospitals Prevent Sepsis?

Healthcare facilities are where people go when they’re sick, so the buildings are inevitably going to have an array of bacteria and other pathogens in the air and on surfaces. That said, since sepsis is relatively common and has the potential to be life-threatening, hospitals do have strict protocols and standards, according to Kino and Prescott.

Infection prevention measures include rigorous cleaning schedules and sterilization of spaces and equipment that are used for patient care. Providers also watch patients for signs of sepsis and make note of people who are at especially high risk for developing the complication.

“We have to assess the patient very rapidly by giving them intravenous antibiotics within one hour of arrival, monitor them incredibly closely, and order specific lab tests according to specific timelines,” said Kino.

How to Check Your Hospital’s Sepsis Care Score

If you’re worried (or even just curious), you can research sepsis care at specific hospitals by visiting Medicare.gov. Put in your ZIP code or search a local hospital by name, click on the link, and scroll down to the “Quality” section.

Within the Quality section, look for a tab that says “Timely & Effective Care.” This will show you the percentage of patients who received appropriate care for severe sepsis and or septic shock. The higher the percentage, the better.

For example, as of February 2024, the percentage of patients who received appropriate sepsis care at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas is 76%—16% higher than the national average of 60%.

How Can You Avoid Sepsis in the Hospital?

When you’re in the hospital, your healthcare team should take measures to reduce the risk of sepsis and track your health closely. But it also won’t hurt for you to learn about the signs and symptoms of sepsis and understand what your risk factors are.

“[Immunocompromised individuals] need to be very conscientious about the surveillance and management of even minor infections like a urinary tract infection or a cough or a cold,” said Kino. “Those sorts of things can progress on to sepsis very easily in immune suppressed people.”

Providers also advise making sure that you’re up to date on recommended and routine vaccinations. While they don’t protect you from every possible infection, vaccines do stimulate your immune system and produce protective antibodies against specific pathogens.