Early Experience with a Novel Strategy for Assessment of Sepsis Risk: The Shock Huddle

Area of Science:

• Pediatric critical care medicine
• Clinical informatics
• Sepsis management

Background:

• Severe sepsis/septic shock (SS) is a significant cause of mortality in children.
• Early and accurate diagnosis of SS in hospitalized children presents clinical challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate an electronic scoring tool combined with a novel assessment strategy for identifying pediatric patients at risk for severe sepsis/septic shock.

Main Methods:

• An electronic "Shock Tool" was developed to alert healthcare providers to at-risk children.
• Patients scoring above a threshold were evaluated by a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) team, including a specialized "Shock Nurse" (RN), in a "Shock Huddle".

Main Results:

• Over one year, 9,241 patients were screened; 206 Shock Huddles occurred for 109 unique patients.
• Nearly 40% of assessments led to interventions, most commonly fluid boluses.
• 10% of Shock Huddles resulted in patient transfer to the PICU.

Conclusions:

• An electronic sepsis recognition tool and Shock RN-led assessment is a feasible alternative to traditional medical emergency teams for sepsis care.
• This novel approach supports rapid assessment and intervention for pediatric sepsis.