Pediatric Sepsis Found in 1.3% of Hospitalizations and Nearly 1 in 5 Child Hospital Deaths

Overview

• JAMA published a multi-hospital analysis of 3.9 million U.S. pediatric hospitalizations from 2016 to 2023 using clinical data from electronic health records.
• The study identified sepsis in 1.3% of pediatric stays with about 10% in-hospital mortality, which equals more than 18,000 cases and over 1,800 deaths each year.
• Nearly one in five in-hospital deaths among children involved sepsis, showing an outsized role in pediatric mortality.
• Researchers created a Pediatric Sepsis Event definition that uses lab results, sustained antibiotics, and organ dysfunction markers, and validation against chart review showed it outperforms billing codes.
• Most cases were present on admission, while fewer began during hospitalization and carried higher death rates, and national rates stayed stable from 2016 to 2022.