Increased Risk of Severe Sepsis in Hispanic Children Hospitalized With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Critical Care Medicine
• Health Disparities Research

Background:

• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment requires intensive therapy, increasing infection risk in children.
• Severe sepsis is a life-threatening complication in pediatric patients with AML.
• Existing research suggests racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate racial and ethnic disparities in severe sepsis risk among children with AML.
• To identify specific ethnic groups at higher risk for severe sepsis during AML treatment.
• To inform interventions aimed at reducing sepsis-related inequities in pediatric cancer care.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of a publicly available database from 2016.
• Inclusion of 1,913 hospitalizations of children (<21 years) with AML and infectious complications.
• Binary logistic regression models to assess the association between race/ethnicity and severe sepsis.

Main Results:

• Hispanic children with AML had significantly increased odds of developing severe sepsis compared to White children.
• No significant differences in sepsis risk were observed for Black, Asian, or other racial/ethnic groups.
• The increased sepsis risk in Hispanic children persisted after controlling for confounding variables.

Conclusions:

• Hispanic children with AML experience a disproportionately higher risk of severe sepsis.
• This inequity in sepsis risk may contribute to disparities in overall survival rates.
• Nurses play a crucial role in identifying and mitigating modifiable risk factors for sepsis in this vulnerable population.