International Consensus Criteria for Pediatric Sepsis and Septic Shock.

Importance: Sepsis is a leading cause of death among children worldwide. Current pediatric-specific criteria for sepsis were published in 2005 based on expert opinion. In 2016, the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3) defined sepsis as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, but it excluded children. Objective: To update and evaluate criteria for sepsis and septic shock in children. Evidence Review: The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) convened a task force of 35 pediatric experts in critical care, emergency medicine, infectious diseases, general pediatrics, nursing, public health, and neonatology from 6 continents. Using evidence from an international survey, systematic review and meta-analysis, and a new organ dysfunction score developed based on more than 3 million electronic health record encounters from 10 sites on 4 continents, a modified Delphi consensus process was employed to develop criteria. Findings: Based on survey data, most pediatric clinicians used sepsis to refer to infection with life-threatening organ dysfunction, which differed from prior pediatric sepsis criteria that used systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria, which have poor predictive properties, and included the redundant term, severe sepsis. The SCCM task force recommends that sepsis in children be identified by a Phoenix Sepsis Score of at least 2 points in children with suspected infection, which indicates potentially life-threatening dysfunction of the respiratory, cardiovascular, coagulation, and/or neurological systems. Children with a Phoenix Sepsis Score of at least 2 points had in-hospital mortality of 7.1% in higher-resource settings and 28.5% in lower-resource settings, more than 8 times that of children with suspected infection not meeting these criteria. Mortality was higher in children who had organ dysfunction in at least 1 of 4-respiratory, cardiovascular, coagulation, and/or neurological-organ systems that was not the primary site of infection. Septic shock was defined as children with sepsis who had cardiovascular dysfunction, indicated by at least 1 cardiovascular point in the Phoenix Sepsis Score, which included severe hypotension for age, blood lactate exceeding 5 mmol/L, or need for vasoactive medication. Children with septic shock had an in-hospital mortality rate of 10.8% and 33.5% in higher- and lower-resource settings, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: The Phoenix sepsis criteria for sepsis and septic shock in children were derived and validated by the international SCCM Pediatric Sepsis Definition Task Force using a large international database and survey, systematic review and meta-analysis, and modified Delphi consensus approach. A Phoenix Sepsis Score of at least 2 identified potentially life-threatening organ dysfunction in children younger than 18 years with infection, and its use has the potential to improve clinical care, epidemiological assessment, and research in pediatric sepsis and septic shock around the world.

Fluid accumulation in critically ill children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Fluids are often administered for various purposes, such as resuscitation, replacement, maintenance, nutrition, or drug infusion. However, its use is not without risks. Critically ill patients are highly susceptible to fluid accumulation (FA), which is associated with poor outcomes, including organ dysfunction, prolonged mechanical ventilation, extended hospital stays, and increased mortality. This study aimed to assess the association between FA and poor outcomes in critically ill children. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to May 2024. Relevant publications were searched using the following terms: child, children, infant, infants, pediatric, pediatrics, critically ill children, critical illness, critical care, intensive care, pediatric intensive care, pediatric intensive care unit, fluid balance, fluid overload, fluid accumulation, fluid therapy, edema, respiratory failure, respiratory insufficiency, pulmonary edema, mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic instability, shock, sepsis, acute renal failure, acute kidney failure, acute kidney injury, renal replacement therapy, dialysis, mortality. Paediatric studies were considered eligible if they assessed the effect of FA on the outcomes of interest. The main outcome was all-cause mortality. Pooled analyses were performed by using random-effects models. This review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023432879). Findings: A total of 120 studies (44,682 children) were included. Thirty-five FA definitions were identified. In general, FA was significantly associated with increased mortality (odds ratio [OR] 4.36; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.53-5.38), acute kidney injury (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.60-2.44), prolonged mechanical ventilation (weighted mean difference [WMD] 38.1 h, 95% CI 19.35-56.84), and longer stay in the intensive care unit (WMD 2.29 days; 95% CI 1.19-3.38). The percentage of FA was lower in survivors when compared to non-survivors (WMD -4.95 [95% CI, -6.03 to -3.87]). When considering only studies that controlled for potential confounding variables, the pooled analysis revealed 6% increased odds of mortality associated with each 1% increase in the percentage of FA (adjusted OR = 1.06 [95% CI, 1.04-1.09). Interpretation: FA is significantly associated with poorer outcomes in critically ill children. Thus, clinicians should closely monitor fluid balance, especially when new-onset or worsening organ dysfunction occurs in oedematous patients, indicating potential FA syndrome. Future research should explore interventions like restrictive fluid therapy or de-resuscitation methods. Meanwhile, preventive measures should be prioritized to mitigate FA until further evidence is available. Funding: None.