Sepsis in Children

Abstract

Background: Sepsis in children still accounts for a substantial morbidity and mortality despite the advances in treatment. Rapidly recognizing a child with SIRS or sepsis is key to having favorable outcomes. The purpose of this review is to provide the most current recommendations for evaluation and treatment including differences in the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) sepsis guidelines. Methods: The literature is from a range of sources that was reviewed and synthesized to provide an overview of the most current methods for evaluation and treatment of sepsis in children. Results: This review summarizes the definitions, clinical manifestations, evaluation and treatment of sepsis in children. Inclusion of the most recent biomarkers of sepsis are included and reviewed.