Outcomes of WHO defined severe respiratory distress without shock in adults in sub- Saharan Africa

Abstract

Sepsis is the leading cause of global mortality, and is most often attributed to lower respiratory tract infections and subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (1). The greatest burden of sepsis rests on sub-Saharan Africa where lower respiratory tract infections account for approximately 390,000 adult deaths each year (2). Yet patients from sub-Saharan Africa are underrepresented in sepsis and ARDS research (3).