ObjectiveTo investigate the numbers, clinical characteristics, resource use, and outcomes of admissions who met precise clinical and physiologic criteria for severe sepsis (as defined in the PROWESS trial) in the first 24 hrs in the intensive care unit.DesignObservational cohort study, with retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.SettingNinety-one adult general intensive care units in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland between 1995 and 2000.PatientsPatients were 56,673 adult admissions.InterventionsNone.Measurements and Main ResultsWe found that 27.1% of adult intensive care unit admissions met severe sepsis criteria in the first 24 hrs in the intensive care unit. Most were nonsurgical (67%), and the most common organ system dysfunctions were seen in the cardiovascular (88%) and respiratory (81%) systems. Modeling the data for England and Wales for 1997 suggested that 51 (95% confidence interval, 46–58) per 100,000 population per year were admitted to intensive care units and met severe sepsis criteria in the first 24 hrs.Of the intensive care unit admissions who met severe sepsis criteria in the first 24 hrs, 35% died before intensive care unit discharge and 47% died during their hospital stay. Hospital mortality rate ranged from 17% in the 16–19 age group to 64% in those >85 yrs. In England and Wales in 1997, an estimated 24 (95% confidence interval, 21–28) per 100,000 population per year died after intensive care unit admissions with severe sepsis in the first 24 hrs.For intensive care unit admissions who met severe sepsis criteria in the first 24 hrs, median intensive care unit length of stay was 3.56 days (interquartile range, 1.50–9.32) and median hospital length of stay was 18 days (interquartile range, 8–36 days). These admissions used 45% of the intensive care unit and 33% of the hospital bed days used by all intensive care unit admissions.ConclusionsSevere sepsis is common and presents a major challenge for clinicians, managers, and healthcare policymakers. Intensive care unit admissions meeting severe sepsis criteria have a high mortality rate and high resource use.