Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026
08:46
A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
Paediatric community-acquired septic shock: results from the REPEM network study.
P Van de Voorde1, B Emerson, B Gomez
1Paediatric Intensive care and Emergency Medicine, 1K12IC, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. patrick.vandevoorde@ugent.be
European Journal of Pediatrics
|January 29, 2013
Summary
Severe paediatric septic shock has a good outcome, with organ dysfunction and treatment, not predisposition, predicting results. Early interventions may prevent intensive care needs in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
- Emergency Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Severe sepsis and septic shock are significant causes of pediatric morbidity and mortality.
- Understanding the epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric septic shock in real-world settings is crucial for improving patient care.
- Early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) is a potential treatment strategy, but its feasibility in children requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the "true world" picture of severe pediatric community-acquired septic shock.
- To establish the feasibility of a future prospective trial on early goal-directed therapy in children.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective screening of 270,461 pediatric emergency department (ED) consultations across 16 EDs in 12 countries.
- Inclusion of children with severe sepsis and signs of decreased perfusion over a 6- to 12-month period.
- Analysis of patient demographics, comorbidities, treatment interventions, and outcomes, including mortality and Paediatric Overall Performance Category (POPC).
Main Results:
- 176 cases of severe pediatric septic shock were identified, with 35.8% having significant comorbidity.
- Intensive care admission was required for 65.7%, mechanical ventilation for 25.9%, and vasoactive medications for 42.9%.
- Overall mortality was 4.5%. Severe outcome was significantly related to desaturation, fluid administration in the first 6 hours, mechanical ventilation, vasoactive support, dobutamine use, higher lactate, and lower base excess, but not to predisposition, infection, or host response (PIRO concept).
Conclusions:
- The outcome for severe pediatric septic shock in this sample was favorable.
- Early treatment may prevent the need for intensive care.
- Future research should focus on large multinational prospective observational trials rather than randomized controlled trials, as organ dysfunction and treatment, not predisposition, significantly correlate with outcomes.
