Explainer | There’s no test for sepsis, which laid Bill Clinton low and often kills. How to avoid it

Sepsis can quickly cause tissue damage, organ failure and death. An expert explains why it is so deadly and gives prevention tips

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Emily in Paris actress Ashley Park, pictured here with boyfriend Paul Forman, lies in hospital after developing septic shock, which affected several of her organs, after a severe case of tonsillitis while on holiday in the Maldives in December 2023. Photo: Instagram/ashleyparklady

Published: 6:15pm, 18 Feb 2025Updated: 7:07pm, 18 Feb 2025

Emily in Paris actress Ashley Park nearly died of it after a case of tonsillitis in the Maldives in 2023, aged 32. Former US president Bill Clinton was admitted to hospital with it in 2021, aged 75, after developing a urinary tract infection. Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner died of it in 2017, after having an E. coli infection, aged 91.

Sepsis affects people of all ages and from all walks of life. It is the leading cause of death in patients admitted to hospitals in the United States, and worldwide kills 11 million people, mostly children, every year, according to the World Health Organization. Yet most people do not even know what it is.

In Hong Kong, it is linked to one in four adult deaths in the city’s public hospitals, according to a study from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

The challenge is that there are no specific diagnostic tests for sepsis, says the study’s lead author, Dr Lowell Ling, a clinical assistant professor and specialist in intensive care at CUHK. An initial diagnosis is made based on a patient’s story, symptoms, clinical signs and whether they have organ malfunction due to an infection.

(From left) Former US president Bill Clinton, actress Ashley Park and Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner all developed sepsis. Photo: AFP

Ling gives the example of 40-year-old Ms Chan – not her real name – who works as a cleaner in Hong Kong. She was fortunate: her condition was identified quickly and treated.

In October 2024, Chan had seen her doctor with symptoms of a urinary tract infection. The antibiotics he prescribed did not help. She continued to battle with a fever; her urine was cloudy and her side felt sore. She went to a hospital accident and emergency department, where she was given intravenous antibiotics.