No pain, no gain in pediatric sepsis?*

Challenges in the recognition and management of paediatric sepsis - The journey

Paediatric sepsis remains a leading cause of childhood death. Morbidity is high, with up to one third of children affected developing ongoing, sometimes lifelong sequelae. To address the major burden of sepsis on child health, there is need for a unified approach to care, as outlined in the Australian National Action Plan for sepsis. While the Surviving Sepsis Campaign 2020 guidelines provided evidence-based recommendations for sepsis management in hospital, additional emphasis on families, pre-hospital recognition and post-sepsis care incorporating the multidisciplinary team is paramount to achieve quality patient outcomes. The role of families, paramedics and nurses in recognising and managing paediatric sepsis remains an under-represented area in current literature. The aim of this paper is to critically discuss key challenges surrounding the journey of paediatric sepsis, drawing on contemporary literature to highlight key areas pertinent to recognition and management of sepsis in children. Application of a holistic, patient-centred focus will provide an overview of paediatric sepsis, aiming to inform future development for enhanced healthcare delivery and identify critical areas for further research.

Critical Illness Factors Associated With Long-Term Mortality and Health-Related Quality of Life Morbidity Following Community-Acquired Pediatric Septic Shock

OBJECTIVES

A companion article reports the trajectory of long-term mortality and significant health-related quality of life disability among children encountering septic shock. In this article, the investigators examine critical illness factors associated with these adverse outcomes.

DESIGN

Prospective, cohort-outcome study, conducted 2013-2017.

SETTING

Twelve United States academic PICUs.

PATIENTS

Critically ill children, 1 month to 18 years, with community-acquired septic shock requiring vasoactive-inotropic support.

INTERVENTIONS

Illness severity, organ dysfunction, and resource utilization data were collected during PICU admission. Change from baseline health-related quality of life at the month 3 follow-up was assessed by parent proxy-report employing the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory or the Stein-Jessop Functional Status Scale.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

In univariable modeling, critical illness variables associated with death and/or persistent, serious health-related quality of life deterioration were candidates for multivariable modeling using Bayesian information criterion. The most clinically relevant multivariable models were selected among models with near-optimal statistical fit. Three months following septic shock, 346 of 389 subjects (88.9%) were alive and 43 of 389 had died (11.1%); 203 of 389 (52.2%) had completed paired health-related quality of life surveys. Pediatric Risk of Mortality, cumulative Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction scores, PICU and hospital durations of stay, maximum and cumulative vasoactive-inotropic scores, duration of mechanical ventilation, need for renal replacement therapy, extracorporeal life support or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and appearance of pathologic neurologic signs were associated with adverse outcomes in univariable models. In multivariable regression analysis (odds ratio [95% CI]), summation of daily Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction scores, 1.01/per point (1.01-1.02), p < 0.001; highest vasoactive-inotropic score, 1.02/per point (1.00-1.04), p = 0.003; and any acute pathologic neurologic sign/event, 5.04 (2.15-12.01), p < 0.001 were independently associated with death or persistent, serious deterioration of health-related quality of life at month 3.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Biologically plausible factors related to sepsis-associated critical illness organ dysfunction and its treatment were associated with poor outcomes at month 3 follow-up among children encountering septic shock.

Trajectory of Mortality and Health-Related Quality of Life Morbidity Following Community-Acquired Pediatric Septic Shock

OBJECTIVES

In-hospital pediatric sepsis mortality has decreased substantially, but long-term mortality and morbidity among children initially surviving sepsis, is unknown. Accordingly, the Life After Pediatric Sepsis Evaluation investigation was conducted to describe the trajectory of mortality and health-related quality of life morbidity for children encountering community-acquired septic shock.

DESIGN

Prospective, cohort-outcome study, conducted 2013-2017.

SETTING

Twelve academic PICUs in the United States.

PATIENTS

Critically ill children, 1 month to 18 years, with community-acquired septic shock requiring vasoactive-inotropic support.

INTERVENTIONS

Demographic, infection, illness severity, organ dysfunction, and resource utilization data were collected daily during PICU admission. Serial parent proxy-report health-related quality of life assessments were obtained at baseline, 7 days, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months following PICU admission utilizing the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory or Stein-Jessop Functional Status Scale.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Among 389 children enrolled, mean age was 7.4 ± 5.8 years; 46% were female; 18% were immunocompromised; and 51% demonstrated chronic comorbidities. Baseline Pediatric Overall Performance Category was normal in 38%. Median (Q1-Q3) Pediatric Risk of Mortality and Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction scores at PICU admission were 11.0 (6.0-17.0) and 9.0 (6.0-11.0); durations of vasoactive-inotropic and mechanical ventilation support were 3.0 days (2.0-6.0 d) and 8.0 days (5.0-14.0 d); and durations of PICU and hospital stay were 9.4 days (5.6-15.4 d) and 15.7 days (9.2-26.0 d). At 1, 3, 6, and 12 months following PICU admission for the septic shock event, 8%, 11%, 12%, and 13% of patients had died, while 50%, 37%, 30%, and 35% of surviving patients had not regained their baseline health-related quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

This investigation provides the first longitudinal description of long-term mortality and clinically relevant, health-related quality of life morbidity among children encountering community-acquired septic shock. Although in-hospital mortality was 9%, 35% of survivors demonstrated significant, health-related quality of life deterioration from baseline that persisted at least 1 year following hospitalization for septic shock.