tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Semergen
. 2026 Jul 3;52(6):102792.
doi: 10.1016/j.semerg.2026.102792. Online ahead of print.
Trends and disparities in influenza and pneumonia associated sepsis mortality among older adults in the United States, 1999-2022: A retrospective population-based study
Y Han[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Q Xu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], G Shi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], W Yang[SUP] 4 [/SUP], L Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], M Yi[SUP] 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Influenza and pneumonia associated sepsis contribute markedly to mortality among the older adults in the United States. Yet, the long-term mortality trajectories and demographic and geographic heterogeneity have not been well characterized.
Methods: We used the CDC WONDER database to identify deaths involving influenza- and pneumonia-associated sepsis among U.S. adults aged ≥65 years from 1999 to 2022 and applied Joinpoint regression to assess temporal changes in mortality trends.
Results: From 1999 to 2022, a total of 730,918 deaths involving influenza and pneumonia associated sepsis were identified among older adults in the United States. Overall mortality exhibited an initially stable pattern followed by a sustained increase, peaking during the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequently declining slightly but remaining at a relatively high level. Among older adults, the age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) rose from 68.96 in 1999 to 81.89 in 2022, with the steepest increase during 2011-2022 (APC=3.63, 95% CI 2.20-5.07; p<0.01). Over the entire study period, higher mortality rates were persistently observed among males, individuals aged≥85 years, residents of the Southern United States, Black or African American individuals, and those living in non-metropolitan areas.
Conclusions: A steadily increasing mortality burden related to influenza and pneumonia associated sepsis has been observed among U.S. older adults in recent years, with substantial disparities across population subgroups and geographic regions.
Keywords: Adultos mayores; CDC WONDER; Influenza; Mortality trends; Neumonía; Older adults; Pneumonia; Sepsis; Tendencias de mortalidad.
. 2026 Jul 3;52(6):102792.
doi: 10.1016/j.semerg.2026.102792. Online ahead of print.
Trends and disparities in influenza and pneumonia associated sepsis mortality among older adults in the United States, 1999-2022: A retrospective population-based study
Y Han[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Q Xu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], G Shi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], W Yang[SUP] 4 [/SUP], L Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], M Yi[SUP] 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 42398467
- DOI: 10.1016/j.semerg.2026.102792
Background: Influenza and pneumonia associated sepsis contribute markedly to mortality among the older adults in the United States. Yet, the long-term mortality trajectories and demographic and geographic heterogeneity have not been well characterized.
Methods: We used the CDC WONDER database to identify deaths involving influenza- and pneumonia-associated sepsis among U.S. adults aged ≥65 years from 1999 to 2022 and applied Joinpoint regression to assess temporal changes in mortality trends.
Results: From 1999 to 2022, a total of 730,918 deaths involving influenza and pneumonia associated sepsis were identified among older adults in the United States. Overall mortality exhibited an initially stable pattern followed by a sustained increase, peaking during the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequently declining slightly but remaining at a relatively high level. Among older adults, the age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) rose from 68.96 in 1999 to 81.89 in 2022, with the steepest increase during 2011-2022 (APC=3.63, 95% CI 2.20-5.07; p<0.01). Over the entire study period, higher mortality rates were persistently observed among males, individuals aged≥85 years, residents of the Southern United States, Black or African American individuals, and those living in non-metropolitan areas.
Conclusions: A steadily increasing mortality burden related to influenza and pneumonia associated sepsis has been observed among U.S. older adults in recent years, with substantial disparities across population subgroups and geographic regions.
Keywords: Adultos mayores; CDC WONDER; Influenza; Mortality trends; Neumonía; Older adults; Pneumonia; Sepsis; Tendencias de mortalidad.