Overview

• On World Sepsis Day, experts warn that tens of thousands die in Germany each year because the condition is often missed or treated too late.
• A nationwide quality‑assurance procedure with a documentation requirement will start in 2026 to tighten prevention, diagnosis and treatment standards in hospitals.
• Key figures remain contested, with a public campaign citing about 85,000 annual deaths while the Sepsis Stiftung, pointing to underreporting, estimates roughly 140,000 or more.
• Comparative analyses indicate Germany’s per‑capita sepsis mortality is far higher than in countries such as Australia and Switzerland.
• Clinicians advocate faster pathogen detection and digital or AI early‑warning systems, though cost and rollout slow adoption, as patient cases highlight hygiene gaps and avoidable harm.