Follow-up care after sepsis shows encouraging but uncertain results
A review of rehabilitation and coordinated care found favorable outcomes, although varied interventions and potential bias limit confidence in their effectiveness.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Rehabilitation and coordinated follow-up were linked with favorable outcomes after sepsis, including survival, hospital readmissions and physical or psychological recovery. However, the interventions differed substantially, and all studies had potential sources of bias. In particular, the long-term survival findings came from observational studies and cannot establish that rehabilitation caused people to live longer.
All included studies had bias concerns. Differences in intervention content, timing and outcomes make a single overall effectiveness claim difficult, and the review identified gaps in interventions addressing cognitive impairment.
What researchers found
Long-term survival after sepsis
Rehabilitation versus usual care was associated with survival benefits through 10 years in 3 observational studies; the abstract reports no effect size.
Different services addressed different outcomes
The review covered exercise, rehabilitation, coordinated follow-up and a virtual reality intervention. Outcomes ranged from exercise capacity to readmissions and psychological symptoms, so favorable findings for a particular service cannot be assumed for every approach.
The evidence leaves important gaps
The authors found no specific interventions for some areas of impairment after sepsis and highlighted cognition as a research priority. Evidence about acceptability also needs strengthening before the services can be judged comprehensively.
The original publication
Effectiveness of targeted post-acute interventions and follow-up services for sepsis survivors: a systematic review.
Bircak-Kuchtova B, Rose N, Geis C et al.
Crit Care · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40781720
- Record checked
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