---
title: "Long-Term Outcomes After Sepsis and Septic Shock: One-Year Prospective Cohort Findings"
id: "pubmed-42765202"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/pubmed-42765202"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "Critical Care"
source_name: "PubMed / NCBI"
source_url: "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42765202/"
doi: "10.1111/jan.70718"
published_at: "2026-09-21T00:00:00.000Z"
evidence_level: "Journal Article"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Long-Term Outcomes After Sepsis and Septic Shock: One-Year Prospective Cohort Findings
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/pubmed-42765202
- **Specialty:** [Critical Care](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/critical-care.md)
- **Primary Source:** PubMed / NCBI
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42765202/)
- **DOI:** [10.1111/jan.70718](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjan.70718)
- **Published At:** 2026-09-21T00:00:00.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Journal Article
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- This prospective longitudinal cohort adapted the Mid-German Sepsis Cohort protocol to the Irish acute hospital context to assess one-year outcomes in adults surviving critical care-treated **sepsis** and **septic shock**. - Study period: data collected 10 June 2020 to 15 May 2023 across five acute hospitals; reporting followed STROBE guidelines. - In-hospital data were captured at three timepoints: sepsis onset, critical care discharge, and hospital discharge. - Follow-up assessments occurred at 3, 6 and 12 months post-discharge and examined **quality of life**, post-traumatic stress, depression, **fatigue**, activities of daily living, cognitive complaints, socio-economic factors and healthcare use. - Sample: 81 survivors (69.1% had septic shock). Median age 60 years; median hospital length of stay 32 days. - At 12 months, employment levels remained below pre-sepsis status, indicating persistent socio-economic impact. - Physical impairments were common; **fatigue** was a particularly frequent residual symptom. - Over half of survivors reported cognitive problems such as memory disturbance; psychological symptoms including anxiety, depression and sleep disorders persisted. - General Practitioners were the most frequently accessed post-sepsis support resource, highlighting primary care’s central role in follow-up. - Conclusions mirror international literature: sepsis survivors face multidimensional, long-lasting impairments and there is a need for integrated, multidisciplinary post-discharge care and strengthened recovery pathways. - Patient/public involvement was planned but could not proceed because of COVID-19 restrictions; this was reported in the source. - The study emphasizes gaps in survivorship care and provides recommendations to inform survivors, clinicians and policymakers about improving support structures.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
Exploring Long-Term Outcomes in Sepsis Survivors: A Prospective Cohort Study Across Acute Hospitals - PubMed This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Skip to main page content The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation Search: Search Advanced Clipboard User Guide Save Email Send to Clipboard My Bibliography Collections Citation manager Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID Save citation to file Format: Summary (text) PubMed PMID Abstract (text) CSV Create file Cancel Email citation Email address has not been verified. Go to My NCBI account settings to confirm your email and then refresh this page. 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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Report format: Summary Summary (text) Abstract Abstract (text) PubMed Send at most: 1 item 5 items 10 items 20 items 50 items 100 items 200 items Send even when there aren't any new results Optional text in email: Save Cancel Create a file for external citation management software Create file Cancel Your RSS Feed Name of RSS Feed: Number of items displayed: 5 10 15 20 50 100 Create RSS Cancel RSS Link Copy Actions Cite Collections Add to Collections Create a new collection Add to an existing collection Name your collection: Name must be less than 100 characters Choose a collection: Unable to load your collection due to an error Please try again Add Cancel Permalink Permalink Copy Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID Cite Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID Abstract Introduction: While sepsis survival rates have improved, long-term consequences remain under-recognised and support services limited. Survivors often face persistent physical, cognitive and psychological impairments that diminish their quality of life. Aim: To investigate the long-term health outcomes and sequelae experienced by survivors of critical care-treated sepsis and septic shock. Design/methods: Adapting the Mid-German Sepsis Cohort protocol to the Irish context, this prospective longitudinal study spanned five acute hospitals. Participants were adults surviving critical care-treated sepsis. In-hospital data consisted of three stages: onset, critical care discharge and hospital discharge. Follow-up surveys at 3, 6 and 12 months assessed quality of life, post-traumatic stress, depression, fatigue, activities of daily living, medico/socio-economic factors, healthcare utilisation and other sepsis sequelae. Data were collected 10th June 2020 to 15th May 2023. Data analysis was descriptive with use of repeated measures ANOVA using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26. Results: Of 81 survivors (69.1% with septic shock), median age was 60 and hospital stay was 32 days. At 12 months, employment remained below pre-sepsis levels. Physical impairments, especially fatigue were common. Over half reported cognitive issues, such as memory disturbance, while psychological symptoms like anxiety, depression and sleep disorders remained prevalent. General Practitioners were the most frequently accessed source of post-sepsis support. Conclusion: Aligned with international evidence: sepsis survivors face high rates of multi-dimensional impairment, highlighting the need for integrated, multidisciplinary support systems and strengthened post-discharge care pathways. Impact: Lasting physical, psychological and cognitive impacts highlight gaps in recovery structures. Recommendations to improve survivorship care. Raises awareness for survivors, practitioners and policymakers. Reporting: Followed STROBE guidelines. Global contribution: This research underscores the one-year impact of sepsis with recommendations for improving post-discharge support. Patient/public involvement: Initially planned to engage with a patient forum; however, this was not possible due to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: critical care; long‐term effect/impact; quality of life; sepsis; septic shock; sequelae; support; survivor; survivorship. © 2026 Health Service Executive, Ireland. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PubMed Disclaimer References Andersen, J. R., K. Breivik, I. E. Engelund, et al. 2022. “Correlated Physical and Mental Health Composite Scores for the RAND‐36 and RAND‐12 Health Surveys: Can We Keep Them Simple?” Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 20, no. 1: 89. Apitzsch, S., L. Larsson, A. K. Larsson, and A. Linder. 2021. “The Physical and Mental Impact of Surviving Sepsis—A Qualitative Study of Experiences and Perceptions Among a Swedish Sample.” Archives of Public Health 79, no. 1: 66. Boer, K. R., O. van Ruler, A. A. Van Emmerik, et al. 2008. “Factors Associated With Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in a Prospective Cohort of Patients After Abdominal Sepsis: A Nomogram.” Intensive Care Medicine 34, no. 4: 664–674. Born, S., C. Matthäus‐Krämer, A. Bichmann, et al. 2023. “Sepsis Survivors and Caregivers Perspectives on Post–Acute Rehabilitation and Aftercare in the First Year After Sepsis in Germany.” Frontiers in Medicine 11, no. 10: 1137027. Castillo, M. I., M. L. Cooke, B. Macfarlane, and L. M. Aitken. 2016. “In ICU State Anxiety Is Not Associated With Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Over Six Months After ICU Discharge: A Prospective Study.” Australian Critical Care 29, no. 3: 158–164. Show all 48 references Grants and funding Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit [x] Cite Copy Download .nbib .nbib Format: AMA APA MLA NLM Send To Clipboard Email Save My Bibliography Collections Citation Manager [x] NCBI Literature Resources MeSH PMC Bookshelf Disclaimer The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited.
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