Early Antibiotics in Pediatric Sepsis
Carolyn Murphy Boscia
Brian M. Cummings
Delayed Antimicrobial Therapy Increases Mortality and Organ Dysfunction Duration in Pediatric Sepsis
Weiss SL, Fitzgerald JC, Balamuth F, et al. Crit Care Med. 2014;42(11):2409–2417
Background
Sepsis carries a 10% to 20% mortality rate in children who require pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission.1 In adult sepsis, timely administration of appropriate antibiotics is known to reduce mortality; the Surviving Sepsis Campaign advocates for administration of effective antibiotics within the first hour after recognition of severe sepsis or septic shock. This study investigated whether early antibiotic administration was similarly impactful in pediatric sepsis.
Objectives
To assess whether delayed initiation of antibiotic therapy is associated with increased mortality and prolonged organ dysfunction in PICU patients with severe sepsis or septic shock.
Methods
Retrospective, observational study in a single academic PICU from 2012 to 2013.
Patients
130 patients ages 1 to 15 years with sepsis or septic shock requiring PICU treatment. Select exclusion criterion: sepsis diagnosed prior to transfer from an outside facility.
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