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Updated: May 18, 2026
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A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
The pediatric sepsis biomarker risk model
Critical Care (London, England)
|October 3, 2012
Summary
A new pediatric sepsis biomarker risk model, PERSEVERE, accurately identifies children with septic shock who are at high risk of death. This tool aids clinical decisions, clinical trials, and quality assessment for pediatric septic shock patients.
Area of Science:
- Biomarker discovery
- Pediatric critical care
- Septic shock research
Background:
- Septic shock in children presents significant heterogeneity, complicating patient management and research.
- Identifying children at highest risk of mortality is crucial for targeted interventions and clinical trial design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a multi-biomarker risk model for predicting outcomes in pediatric septic shock.
Main Methods:
- Serum protein biomarkers were measured in 220 children with septic shock.
- Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis created a decision tree using biomarkers and clinical data.
- The model was validated in an independent cohort of 135 children.
Main Results:
- The derived PERSEVERE model incorporated five biomarkers.
- In combined cohorts (n=355), the model achieved 93% sensitivity and 74% specificity for mortality prediction.
- The model accurately identified children with greater illness severity, indicated by organ failure persistence and longer ICU stays.
Conclusions:
- The PERSEVERE model reliably identifies children at high risk of mortality and severe illness in pediatric septic shock.
- PERSEVERE can improve clinical decision-making, risk adjustment in trials, and serve as a quality metric.
