When trauma turns septic: Associated factors and focus-specific mortality in 61,399 patients from the TraumaRegister DGU®
Main finding · Sepsis incidence and associated factorsResult — go to the resultOdds ratio 2.85 95% CI 2.62–3.09Authors' conclusion
Sepsis after severe trauma is associated with prolonged ICU stay, a high rate of MOF, and increased in-hospital mortality. Abdominal and pulmonary foci carry the highest case-fatality among specified sources.
Study context
- Population
- Patients aged ≥ 16 years with worst injury Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) ≥ 3 admitted to intensive care unit (ICU), TraumaRegister DGU® 2020–2024; early transfers out (<48 h) or missing sepsis documentation excluded
- Participants
- 61,399 patients
- Exposure
- Septic vs non-septic patients after severe trauma
- Septicn = 3,486
- Outcome
- Sepsis incidence and associated factors
Methodological detailsregistry-based, multivariable logistic regression
- Registry-based
- Multivariable logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Odds ratio
2.85
95% CI 2.62–3.09
Septic vs non-septic patients after severe trauma
OR 2.85 (95% CI 2.62–3.09)
- Developed sepsis
- 3486 (5.7%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
ICU LOS
P < 0.001
MOF
- Multiple organ failure (MOF) — MOF overall
- 17.8%
Sepsis focus
- Pulmonary focus
- 63.6%
- Abdominal focus
- 8.7%
In-hospital mortality
- Overall in-hospital mortality
- 15.8% (n = 9696)
- Sepsis-associated mortality
- 31.5%
Case-fatality by sepsis focus (specified foci)
- Abdominal sepsis
- 38.0%
- Pulmonary sepsis
- 32.3%
Original publication
When trauma turns septic: Associated factors and focus-specific mortality in 61,399 patients from the TraumaRegister DGU®. J Crit Care. Published 21 August 2026. doi:10.
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