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A Controlled Mouse Model for Neonatal Polymicrobial Sepsis
Published on: January 27, 2019
Scope and epidemiology of pediatric sepsis
R Scott Watson1, Joseph A Carcillo
1Department of Critical Care Medicine (RSW, JAC), Center for Research on Health Care, and the Clinical Research, Investigation, and Systems Modeling in Acute Illness Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Insights
Pediatric sepsis is a significant global health issue, causing many deaths in children annually. Fortunately, sepsis is both preventable and treatable with simple strategies, improving child survival rates.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Infectious diseases epidemiology
- Global child health
Background:
- Sepsis is a leading cause of mortality in infants and children worldwide.
- Over 42,000 cases of severe sepsis occur annually in the U.S., with millions globally.
- Infants, particularly low-birth-weight babies, represent a significant portion of severe sepsis cases in the U.S.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the scope and epidemiology of pediatric sepsis.
- To highlight the global burden of pediatric sepsis.
- To review effective prevention and treatment strategies.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive review of the published scientific literature.
- Analysis of epidemiological data on pediatric sepsis incidence and outcomes.
- Evaluation of intervention strategies in diverse healthcare settings.
Main Results:
- Severe sepsis affects over 42,000 children yearly in the U.S. and millions globally.
- Underlying medical conditions are present in nearly half of U.S. pediatric sepsis cases.
- Costly healthcare burden in the U.S. ($2.3 billion in 1999) contrasted with successful, low-cost interventions in developing nations.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric sepsis is a critical global health concern in both developed and developing countries.
- Sepsis is a preventable and treatable condition with the potential to significantly improve child survival and quality of life.
- Addressing pediatric sepsis requires a multidisciplinary approach and standardized definitions due to epidemiological variations.
Objective:
To summarize the scope and epidemiology of pediatric sepsis.
Design:
Review of published literature.
Results:
Sepsis is a leading cause of death in infants and children, with >42,000 cases of severe sepsis annually in the United States and millions worldwide. Half of the children with severe sepsis in the United States are infants, and half of infants are low- or very low-birth-weight babies. Underlying disease occurs in 49% of U.S. children with severe sepsis. National hospital costs associated with severe sepsis in the United States were $2.3 billion in 1999. Relatively simple strategies to identify and treat children with sepsis in the developing world have shown remarkable success. These strategies have included empirical antibiotics in babies at high risk of sepsis and aggressive fluid resuscitation in Dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Conclusions:
Sepsis is a major health problem among children in both developing and industrialized countries. However, sepsis is both preventable and treatable. Improved prevention and treatment of sepsis could have a substantial effect on survival and quality of life of all children, both those who are otherwise healthy and those who are chronically ill. The variations in the epidemiology of pediatric sepsis underscore the need for a multidisciplinary approach and consistently applied definitions.
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