Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancing Pathogen Detection and Disease Assessment in Real-Time Using M-ROSE
Published on: March 1, 2024
Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Pediatric Sepsis in PICUs in Southwest China: A Prospective Multicenter
Rong Liu1, Zhicai Yu1, Changxue Xiao1
1Department of Pediatric Critical Care, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Chongqing, China.
Insights
Pediatric sepsis in Southwest China PICUs affects 3.3% of admissions, with respiratory infections being most common. Sepsis remains a critical threat to children, necessitating ongoing research and intervention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Infectious diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Pediatric sepsis is a significant global health concern.
- Understanding regional epidemiological patterns is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Southwest China's PICU data on pediatric sepsis requires updated characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate the epidemiological features of pediatric sepsis.
- To analyze infection sources and treatment modalities.
- To identify mortality predictors in pediatric sepsis patients.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, multicenter, observational study in 12 PICUs.
- Inclusion of patients aged 28 days to 18 years diagnosed with severe sepsis or septic shock.
- Data collection on demographics, infection sites, treatments, and outcomes over one year.
Main Results:
- 3.3% of 11,238 PICU admissions had severe sepsis or septic shock.
- Respiratory (55%) and digestive (15%) systems were primary infection sites.
- PICU mortality was 11.2%, with higher rates in septic shock (19.2%) vs. severe sepsis (4.5%).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric sepsis remains a life-threatening condition in Southwest China PICUs.
- Early identification and management are critical, as nearly half of deaths occurred within 3 days of admission.
- Higher pediatric SOFA scores, mechanical ventilation, and vasoactive medications independently predicted mortality.
Objectives:
To describe the epidemiological characteristics of pediatric sepsis in Southwest China PICUs.
Design:
A prospective, multicenter, and observational study.
Setting:
Twelve PICUs in Southwest China.
Patients:
The patients admitted to the PICU from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023. The age ranged from 28 days to 18 years. All patients met the criteria of severe sepsis or septic shock.
Interventions:
None.
Measurements And Main Results:
Of the 31 PICUs invited to participate, 12 PICUs (capacity of 292 beds) enrolled patients in the study. During the study period, 11,238 children were admitted to the participating PICUs, 367 (3.3%) of whom met the diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock. The most prevalent sites of infection were the respiratory system (55%) and the digestive system (15%). The primary treatments administered to these patients included antibiotics (100%), albumin (61.3%), invasive mechanical ventilation (58.7%), glucocorticoids (55.6%), blood products (51%), gammaglobulin (51%), and vasoactive medications (46.6%). Sepsis-related mortality in the PICU was 11.2% (41/367). Nearly half of the sepsis deaths occurred within the first 3 days of PICU admission (22/41, 53.7%). The mortality rate of septic shock (32/167, 19.2%) was significantly higher than that of severe sepsis (9/200, 4.5%; p < 0.001). The outcomes of a multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that a higher pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, and the use of invasive mechanical ventilation and vasoactive medications were independently associated with PICU mortality in children with sepsis.
Conclusions:
This report updates the epidemiological data of pediatric sepsis in PICUs in Southwest China. Sepsis is still a life-threatening disease in children.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...
01:30Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment
01:29Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology