SCCM Resource Library-SCCM Task Force Develops New Criteria to Identify Pediatric Sepsis

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The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) has developed new criteria for identifying pediatric sepsis, replacing the outdated 2005 standards. The initiative was driven by the pressing need to provide accurate diagnostics, particularly for children under five in low-resource areas who represent a significant proportion of global sepsis cases. The SCCM Pediatric Sepsis Definition Task Force introduced the Phoenix criteria, published in JAMA in 2024. These criteria focus on life-threatening organ dysfunction in children up to 18 years old but exclude newborns and preterm infants.<br /><br />Unlike past definitions which relied heavily on the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and expert opinions, the new criteria adopt a data-driven approach, drawing insights from a global survey and a comprehensive analysis of over three million health records. The Phoenix Sepsis Score assigns points based on respiratory, cardiovascular, coagulation, and neurological system data. A score of 2 or more indicates potential life-threatening sepsis, with a mortality rate significantly higher in low-resource settings.<br /><br />The development process ensured that the criteria would be applicable across diverse clinical settings, including places with limited access to medical technology. Efforts were made to minimize the need for extensive data collection to facilitate use in lower-resource settings. While recognizing the challenge of crafting universally applicable criteria, the task force emphasized a focus on both specificity and sensitivity to improve early recognition and treatment of sepsis.<br /><br />The creation of these criteria aims to save lives by enabling clinicians to pinpoint children at the highest risk and to provide a framework for developing effective screening tools. The ongoing research intends to further refine methods for early sepsis detection and extend the study to preterm infants and other demographics with specific clinical needs.

Asset Subtitle

Pediatrics, Sepsis, 2024, 0:08:48

Asset Caption

"This article was first published in the Summer 2024 issue of Critical Connections.

An SCCM task force used an extensive approach to develop the most comprehensive and up-to-date criteria for defining sepsis and septic shock in children. The Phoenix Sepsis Score, published in JAMA in February 2024, was based on evidence from an international survey, a systematic review and meta-analysis, and a newly developed organ dysfunction score based on more than 3 million electronic health record encounters from 10 sites on 4 continents.

Critical Connections, the critical care industry’s only newsmagazine, provides information on cutting-edge topics in critical care useful to the entire multiprofessional team."

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Content Type Article

Knowledge Area Pediatrics

Knowledge Area Sepsis

Membership Level Associate

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Tag Guidelines

Tag Scoring Systems

Tag Pediatrics

Year 2024

Keywords

pediatric sepsis

SCCM

Phoenix criteria

JAMA 2024

organ dysfunction

Phoenix Sepsis Score

low-resource settings

data-driven approach

sepsis detection

clinical settings

Article

Pediatrics

Sepsis

Guidelines

Scoring Systems

2024

Associate

Professional

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