Health-Related Quality of Life Among Patients With Sepsis in Blantyre, Malawi: An Observational Cohort Study
1
Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, United Republic of
2
Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, Department of Medicine, Duke University, North Calorina, United States
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3622
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with high mortality rates, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which bears a disproportionate burden. Sepsis survivors may experience poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We aimed to measure HRQoL over six-months following emergency hospital admission in Malawi, comparing trajectories between sepsis patients and matched controls to identify the impact of sepsis on HRQoL in SSA.
METHODS:
This study was nested within a longitudinal adult sepsis cohort of hospital admissions in Blantyre, Malawi. Two reference control groups matched by age, sex, and geographical location were recruited: (1) hospital inpatients without sepsis and (2) community members with no current illness. All participants were followed up to 180 days post-enrolment. HRQoL was assessed using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire and the visual analogue scale (VAS), with Zimbabwe tariffs used to convert health states to utility scores. Regression analysis examined factors associated with HRQoL among sepsis survivors.
RESULTS:
Total of 225 sepsis cases, 100 inpatient controls, and 100 community controls were recruited. HIV prevalence was higher among sepsis cases (63.6%) compared to inpatients (12.0%) and community controls (18.0%). Case-fatality among sepsis patients was 27.6% and 23.0% among inpatient controls for the 6-month duration. At baseline, sepsis cases had lower health utility scores (mean 0.54, 95% CI: 0.50–0.58) than inpatients (0.67, 95% CI: 0.61-0.72) and community controls (0.86, 95% CI: 0.85-0.87). Over time, sepsis cases showed fluctuating HRQoL, with a marked decline at assessments four (0.36) and five (0.13), compared with stable scores in controls. Regression analysis identified age, sex, TB status, and duration of illness before admission as significant predictors of HRQoL.
CONCLUSIONS:
The findings reveal a severe and persistent reduction in HRQoL among participants with sepsis in Malawi, pointing to a need for sepsis prevention through strengthening HIV care, early diagnosis, post-sepsis support and rehabilitation programs in SSA.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with high mortality rates, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which bears a disproportionate burden. Sepsis survivors may experience poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We aimed to measure HRQoL over six-months following emergency hospital admission in Malawi, comparing trajectories between sepsis patients and matched controls to identify the impact of sepsis on HRQoL in SSA.
METHODS:
This study was nested within a longitudinal adult sepsis cohort of hospital admissions in Blantyre, Malawi. Two reference control groups matched by age, sex, and geographical location were recruited: (1) hospital inpatients without sepsis and (2) community members with no current illness. All participants were followed up to 180 days post-enrolment. HRQoL was assessed using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire and the visual analogue scale (VAS), with Zimbabwe tariffs used to convert health states to utility scores. Regression analysis examined factors associated with HRQoL among sepsis survivors.
RESULTS:
Total of 225 sepsis cases, 100 inpatient controls, and 100 community controls were recruited. HIV prevalence was higher among sepsis cases (63.6%) compared to inpatients (12.0%) and community controls (18.0%). Case-fatality among sepsis patients was 27.6% and 23.0% among inpatient controls for the 6-month duration. At baseline, sepsis cases had lower health utility scores (mean 0.54, 95% CI: 0.50–0.58) than inpatients (0.67, 95% CI: 0.61-0.72) and community controls (0.86, 95% CI: 0.85-0.87). Over time, sepsis cases showed fluctuating HRQoL, with a marked decline at assessments four (0.36) and five (0.13), compared with stable scores in controls. Regression analysis identified age, sex, TB status, and duration of illness before admission as significant predictors of HRQoL.
CONCLUSIONS:
The findings reveal a severe and persistent reduction in HRQoL among participants with sepsis in Malawi, pointing to a need for sepsis prevention through strengthening HIV care, early diagnosis, post-sepsis support and rehabilitation programs in SSA.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
