in the united states, sepsis is the leading cause of death for icu patients which do not have heart problems. data from the centers for disease control and prevention shows it is the tenth most common cause of death overall. older people, those with a weak immune system and those with a strong illness suffer from sepis more often. it is also more dangerous to them. it occurs in 1%-2% of all hospitalizations and accounts for as much as 25% of intensive care unit (icu) bed utilization. it is a major cause of death in intensive care units worldwide, with mortality rates that range from 20% for sepsis to 40% for "severe sepsis" to over 60% for "septic shock".