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Updated: May 20, 2026
A Data-Driven Approach to Quantifying Immune States in Sepsis
Published on: February 7, 2025
[Clinical study on sepsis in 2 pediatric intensive care units in Beijing]
Insights
Pediatric sepsis in Beijing PICUs has high incidence and mortality, especially in children under 3. Key risk factors for death include low pediatric critical illness score and mechanical ventilation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Infectious diseases
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.
- Pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) manage critically ill children, a population vulnerable to sepsis.
- Understanding sepsis epidemiology in PICUs is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Purpose:
- To determine the incidence, mortality, causes, and risk factors of sepsis in children admitted to PICUs in Beijing.
- To analyze sepsis characteristics, including common pathogens and underlying conditions.
- To identify predictors of mortality in pediatric sepsis cases.
Summary:
- A prospective study of 1531 PICU admissions found 486 cases of sepsis (38.9% incidence among critically ill), with 55 deaths (11.3% mortality).
- Sepsis was most common in children under 3 years old, with respiratory infections like pneumonia being the primary cause.
- Bacterial pathogens, particularly gram-negative bacteria, were the main etiological agents. Low pediatric critical illness score (PCIS) and mechanical ventilation were significant risk factors for mortality.
Impact:
- Sepsis represents a significant burden in pediatric critical care, characterized by high morbidity, mortality, and increased healthcare costs.
- Findings highlight the vulnerability of young children to sepsis and the importance of prompt diagnosis and management.
- Identifying risk factors like low PCIS and mechanical ventilation can guide targeted interventions and improve survival rates in pediatric sepsis.
Objective:
To investigate the incidence, mortality, causes and risk factors of sepsis in children in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) in Beijing through large sample prospective clinical research.
Methods:
From 1st November 2008 to 31st December 2009, all patients aged from 29 days to 18 years admitted to PICU of the two children's hospitals in Beijing were surveyed. Patients who met the conditions of Chinese pediatric critical illness score (PCIS) < 90 or American guidelines for PICU admission were defined as critically ill cases. According to the definitions of sepsis of 2005 international pediatric sepsis consensus conference and 2006 Chinese Medical Association meeting, sepsis, sever sepsis, and septic shock cases were selected from these critically ill patients. The qualified subjects were surveyed by questionnaire until discharge or death the data were analyzed by SPSS.
Results:
A total of 1531 of PICU admissions were enrolled within a 14-month period, of whom 1250 met the criteria of critically ill case; 486 developed sepsis, of whom 55 died. The morbidity of sepsis for all in critically ill patients in PICU was 38.9% (486/1250) and the mortality was 11.3% (55/486). The morbidity of sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock in these PICU was 25.5% (319/1250), 10.3% (129/1250), 3.0% (38/1250) and the mortality was 2.2% (7/319), 23.3% (30/129), and 47.4% (18/38), respectively. The proportion of less than 3 years old was 75.5% (367/486). Respiratory system diseases (71.8%), such as pneumonia (63.6%), were the underlying primary infectious diseases of sepsis. Bacterial etiology accounted for 64.1% of the cases with sepsis with definite etiological test results. The proportion of gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria were 46.1% and 53.9%, respectively. PCIS and disease severity were negatively correlated (r = -0.583, P < 0.01). Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that depressed PCIS and use of mechanical ventilation were the risk factors for death. Average medical costs per patient in PICU with severe sepsis and septic shock were 2.3 times and 1.3 times higher than those of critically ill patients.
Conclusions:
Sepsis with the characteristics of high morbidity, mortality and cost was one of the critical illnesses in PICU in two pediatric hospitals in Beijing. Patients younger than 3 years were more susceptible to develop sepsis. Main infectious cause was pneumonia and bacteria was the main pathogen bacterial pneumonia. Risk factors for death were depressed PCIS and use of mechanical ventilation.