Patients and families

Recovery and aftercare after sepsis

Surviving is not the same as recovering. Many people have symptoms for months to years after sepsis. On this page you can read what to expect, what the guidelines advise and where to find help.

What to expect What the guidelines advise What you can do yourself Help and peer support For relatives

Photo: Al Benoit via Unsplash

After discharge

What can you expect?

1 in 2survivors recover within the first year.Prescott and Angus, JAMA 2018

1 in 6still has severe physical or cognitive impairment a year after sepsis.Prescott and Angus, JAMA 2018

30,406quality-adjusted life years are lost each year in the Netherlands through reduced quality of life after sepsis.Luijks et al., Crit Care 2024

Common problems:

Physical

Fatigue and low fitness
Muscle weakness, muscle and joint pain
Shortness of breath, swallowing problems
Reduced kidney function
More frequent new infections

Cognitive

Problems with concentration and memory
Difficulty following conversations with several people
Slower thinking and planning

Psychological

Anxiety and low mood
Flashbacks or nightmares (post-traumatic stress)
Sleep problems

Even after the first year, the risk of readmission, cardiovascular disease and death is higher than in peers. Returning to work often takes longer than expected.

Research on recovery cohort studies

In a German cohort of over 116,000 survivors, 74% received a new medical, psychological or cognitive diagnosis in the first year and 31.5% became newly dependent on nursing care Fleischmann-Struzek, JAMA Netw Open 2021.
After a sepsis admission the risk of cardiovascular readmission is increased (HR 1.43), especially for heart failure Jentzer, J Am Heart Assoc 2023.
ICU survivors of respiratory sepsis had higher 12-month mortality than survivors of COVID-19 sepsis (RR 1.77) Joost, Infection 2025.
Readmissions after sepsis are often infection-related and partly preventable Prescott, JAMA 2015 van der Slikke, Infect Drug Resist 2023.

Guidelines

What do the guidelines advise on aftercare?

Dutch sepsis guideline module Information on long-term consequences

Refer patients in good time to reliable information on the long-term consequences of sepsis and involve their relatives. State explicitly in the discharge letter that the patient has had sepsis.

Summarised from the Dutch sepsis guideline

Dutch sepsis guideline module Mobilisation

In the ICU and on the ward, start mobilisation and activation as early as possible, in the most active form that is safe.

Summarised from the Dutch sepsis guideline

Surviving Sepsis Campaign 2026 suggestion

Give patients and families verbal and written education about sepsis, its treatment and post-sepsis syndrome. Offer survivors follow-up after hospitalisation, support for mental health problems, and rehabilitation to those ventilated for more than 48 hours.

Summarised from the SSC adult guidelines 2026

The Netherlands does not yet have a national aftercare pathway for sepsis. Several hospitals run an ICU follow-up clinic or a post-sepsis clinic, including Amsterdam UMC and UMCG. At discharge, ask whether your hospital offers follow-up, also if you were not in intensive care.

Self-help

What can you do yourself?

Ask for an explanation. At discharge, ask what happened, which problems to expect and who to contact. Ask whether your discharge letter mentions that you had sepsis.
Build up gradually. Move every day, spread your energy over the day and rest before you are tired. A physiotherapist or occupational therapist can help.
Keep a diary or ask your relatives what happened during your admission; this helps you process it.
Watch for new infections. After sepsis your immunity is weaker for weeks to months. Know the warning signs and tell your GP that you have had sepsis.
Get vaccinated as advised by your GP or RIVM; this is possible shortly after sepsis.
Discuss symptoms with your GP if they do not improve after a few weeks, and ask about referral for rehabilitation or psychological support.

Help

Help, information and peer support

Sepsis Nederland

Patient organisation for people who have (had) sepsis and their relatives: information, peer support and advocacy (in Dutch).

sepsisnederland.nl

FCIC and IC Connect

Information and peer support for former ICU patients and their relatives.

fcic.nl and icconnect.nl

Sepsis en daarna

Information about life after sepsis, including the Sepsis Alarm Book (in Dutch).

sepsis-en-daarna.nl

Research on long-term symptoms

Together with SepsisNet, NMCB is recruiting people who have recovered and people with long-term symptoms after sepsis, to understand what long-term symptoms after infection have in common.

Take part in research

Relatives

For relatives and the bereaved

An admission with sepsis also has a major impact on partners, children and parents. Fear, worry and caregiving can have long-lasting effects; relatives too may develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Talk to your own GP about it. Those who have lost someone to sepsis can contact Sepsis Nederland to meet others with the same experience.

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