Chattopadhyay B, Al-Zahawi M
J Infect. 1983 Sep;7(2):134-8. doi: 10.1016/s0163-4453(83)90548-0.
During a period of two years the overall mortality rate among 218 patients with septicaemia was 22.4 per cent. Mortality among patients of over 60 years of age, however, was 36.6 per cent compared with only 5.1 per cent for those below that age. This difference was highly significant (P less than 0.001). For pneumococcal septicaemia the figures were particularly disturbing, the death rate being 65 per cent for the former age group, but remaining nil for the latter. Of the 49 deaths, 44 (89.8 per cent) and five (10.2 per cent), respectively, were in those above and below that age. As death from septicaemia in the elderly seems to be unacceptably high, early institution of antibiotic therapy, even for the patient at home, is advocated so as to forestall the onset of shock. Although controversial and debatable this measure seems to be justified because it might significantly improve prognosis.
在两年时间里，218例败血症患者的总死亡率为22.4%。然而，60岁以上患者的死亡率为36.6%，而60岁以下患者仅为5.1%。这种差异非常显著（P小于0.001）。对于肺炎球菌败血症，这些数字尤其令人不安，前一年龄组的死亡率为65%，而后一年龄组则为零。在49例死亡病例中，分别有44例（89.8%）和5例（10.2%）发生在60岁以上和60岁以下的患者中。由于老年人败血症的死亡率似乎高得令人难以接受，因此提倡尽早使用抗生素治疗，即使是在家中的患者，以防止休克的发生。尽管这一措施存在争议，但似乎是合理的，因为它可能会显著改善预后。
