Context Severe sepsis, defined as infection complicated by acute organ dysfunction, occurs
more frequently and leads to more deaths in black than in white individuals. The optimal
approach to minimize these disparities is unclear. Objective To determine the extent to
which higher severe sepsis rates in black than in white patients are due to higher infection
rates or to a higher risk of acute organ dysfunction. Design, Setting, and Participants
Analysis of infection-related hospitalizations from the 2005 hospital discharge data of 7 US …