The incidence of sepsis in the Royal Air Force

In 1956–58 septic lesions in men of the R.A.F. accounted for about 3% of all admissions to sick-quarters or hospital and about 5% of admissions excluding respiratory disease; 1% of all men in the service were admitted with sepsis each year. Incidence fell with age, particularly up to the age of 25 years. The rates for women were about 50% higher.Recruits experienced more than twice as much sepsis as trained men and boy apprentices. Officers had only half the admission rate of other ranks. These contrasts could have been explained by differences in age. There was no evidence of seasonal variation in the incidence of sepsis, but in recruits and boy apprentices epidemics of sepsis unrelated to season occurred.I am indebted to Dr J. C. McDonald and Professor R. E. O. Williams for helpful criticism, to Professor P. Armitage for statistical advice and to the Director-General, Royal Air Force Medical Services, for permission to publish the results.