Optimizing Pediatric Sepsis Diagnosis: A Narrative Review of Two Decades of Evolution from SIRS to Phoenix Consensus

Pediatric sepsis definitions have evolved significantly from the 2005 International Pediatric Sepsis Consensus Conference (IPSCC) to the 2024 Phoenix Sepsis criteria. However, inconsistencies in previous models, including Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) and Sepsis-3, impacted diagnosis and treatment. A global task force conducted clinician surveys, meta-analysis, and validation studies, culminating in the Phoenix Sepsis Score as a refined diagnostic model. The Phoenix Sepsis Score assesses four organ systems, improving diagnostic accuracy and overcoming limitations seen in earlier models. This narrative review examines the evolution of pediatric sepsis definitions over the past two decades, from the 2005 International Pediatric Sepsis Consensus Conference (IPSCC) criteria to the recently published Phoenix Sepsis Score; providing a standardized and globally relevant approach to improving early detection and treatment outcomes.