Paediatric Sepsis

Raise awareness

Best Sepsis Care for our Kids – A National Forum for Paediatric Sepsis Week

Sepsis Australia invites you to join Best Sepsis Care for our Kids, a free virtual event on Wednesday 19 April, 2 – 4pm AEST.

Sepsis is a leading cause of harm in children worldwide, with infants and children aged under five years at greater risk. In Australia, vital work is being done in healthcare and community settings to increase awareness of paediatric sepsis and improve outcomes for children diagnosed with sepsis and their families. Sepsis Champions from across Australia will present on initiatives across the spectrum of care, from acute hospital through to post-sepsis and community programs. To register: Best Sepsis Care for our Kids tickets

Best Sepsis Care for our Kids recognises and supports Paediatric Sepsis Week (16-22 April 2023), an annual initiative of the Sepsis Alliance see: https://www.sepsis.org/pediatric-sepsis-week/

Why not organise your own local event like a morning tea (Sips for Sepsis) download the event poster here and add your details: Sips for Sepsis POSTER TEMPLATE A4

World Sepsis Day Event Poster 

Why not organise your own local event like a walk (Steps for Sepsis) download the event poster here and add your details: Steps for Sepsis POSTER TEMPLATE A4

Surviving sepsis campaign international guidelines for the management of septic shock and sepsis-associated organ dysfunction in children

The key difference relevant for the initial resuscitation in comparison to previous guidelines is the restriction of 1-hour time frames to children with signs of shock, wheres cases where sepsis is suspected but no signs of shock is present up to 3 hours are allowed.

The relevance of systematic screening is highlighted on page 17.

See the full version at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00134-019-05878-6

Abstract

Objectives

To develop evidence-based recommendations for clinicians caring for children (including infants, school-aged children, and adolescents) with septic shock and other sepsis-associated organ dysfunction.

Design

A panel of 49 international experts, representing 12 international organizations, as well as three methodologists and three public members was convened. Panel members assembled at key international meetings (for those panel members attending the conference), and a stand-alone meeting was held for all panel members in November 2018. A formal conflict-of-interest policy was developed at the onset of the process and enforced throughout. Teleconferences and electronic-based discussion among the chairs, co-chairs, methodologists, and group heads, as well as within subgroups, served as an integral part of the guideline development process.

Methods

The panel consisted of six subgroups: recognition and management of infection, hemodynamics and resuscitation, ventilation, endocrine and metabolic therapies, adjunctive therapies, and research priorities. We conducted a systematic review for each Population, Intervention, Control, and Outcomes question to identify the best available evidence, statistically summarized the evidence, and then assessed the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. We used the evidence-to-decision framework to formulate recommendations as strong or weak, or as a best practice statement. In addition, “in our practice” statements were included when evidence was inconclusive to issue a recommendation, but the panel felt that some guidance based on practice patterns may be appropriate.

Results

The panel provided 77 statements on the management and resuscitation of children with septic shock and other sepsis-associated organ dysfunction. Overall, six were strong recommendations, 49 were weak recommendations, and nine were best-practice statements. For 13 questions, no recommendations could be made; but, for 10 of these, “in our practice” statements were provided. In addition, 52 research priorities were identified.

Conclusions

A large cohort of international experts was able to achieve consensus regarding many recommendations for the best care of children with sepsis, acknowledging that most aspects of care had relatively low quality of evidence resulting in the frequent issuance of weak recommendations. Despite this challenge, these recommendations regarding the management of children with septic shock and other sepsis-associated organ dysfunction provide a foundation for consistent care to improve outcomes and inform future research.