Children and Young People: Sepsis

Sepsis can affect anyone at any time in life but it tends to strike the population at the extremes of age. As a result children, particularly premature babies and infants can be more susceptible to developing sepsis. Early recognition and intervention clearly improves the outcome for children presenting with sepsis. Use this guide to find information resources about recognising and caring for a child with presumed sepsis including books, reports and journal articles.

• Key Resources
• Books
• Journals
• Explore

Key Resources Books Journals Explore

Key Resources

Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (2022) Statement on the initial antimicrobial treatment of sepsis. London: AoMRC.

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The UK Sepsis Trust: Clinical tools

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The UK Sepsis Trust (2022) The sepsis manual. 6th edn. Birmingham: The UK Sepsis Trust.

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Royal College of Nursing (2017) Standards for assessing, measuring and monitoring vital signs in infants, children and young people, London: RCN

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Department of Health and Health Education England: Spotting the sick child

• An interactive tool to support health professionals in the assessment of the acutely sick child. You will need to register to use this site.
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Peters A (2020) Searching for sepsis. Don't Forget the Bubbles.

• Summary and analysis of journal article: Nijman R G, Jorgensen R, Levin M, Herberg J, and Maconochie I K (2020) Management of children with fever at risk for pediatric sepsis: a prospective study in pediatric emergency care, Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8. doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.548154
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Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health: Paediatric sepsis podcasts

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Weiss S L, Peters M J, Alhazzani W et al. (2020) Surviving sepsis campaign international guidelines for the management of septic shock and sepsis-associated organ dysfunction in children, Intensive Care Medicine. 46, pp. 10–67.

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We would like to thank the RCN CYP Acute member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.

Books

Advanced Paediatric Life Support Group (2016) Advanced paediatric life support: a practical approach to emergencies. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

• Access through RCN Library

Daniels R (2014) Survive sepsis: the official training programme of the UK Sepsis Trust. Sutton Coldfield: UK Sepsis Trust.

• Access through RCN Library

Duncan C, Talano J and McArthur J (eds.) (2019) Critical care of the pediatric immunocompromised hematology/oncology patient: an evidence-based guide. Cham: Springer.

• Chapter 10 covers early recognition of critical illness
  Access through RCN Library

Graver B (2015) Septic shock: risk factors, management and prognosis. New York: Nova Science Publishers.

• Access through RCN Library

Moye M (2012) Winning the fight against sepsis: what every nurse should know. Indianapolis: Dog Ear Publishing.

• Access through RCN Library

Ortiz-Ruiz G and Dueñas-Castell C (eds.) (2017) Sepsis. 3rd edn. New York: Springer.

• Access through RCN Library

Prowse A (2018) Three-and-a-half heartbeats. London: Head of Zeus in association with the UK Sepsis Trust.

• A novel focusing on the death of a child from sepsis.
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The UK Sepsis Trust (2019) The sepsis manual (5th edition), Birmingham: United Kingdom Sepsis Trust.

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Sharland M (editor)(2015) Manual of childhood infections: the blue book. 4th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Chapter 31 covers sepsis syndrome.
  Access through RCN Library

Strobel S, Spitz L and Marks S (eds) (2016) Great Ormond Street handbook of paediatrics. 2nd edn. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

• Pages 18-19 cover sepsis.
  Access through RCN Library

Ward N and Levy M (eds) (2017) Sepsis: definitions, pathophysiology and the challenge of bedside management. Cham: Humana Press.

• Access through RCN Library

Journal articles

Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.

• Meningococcal disease/ meningitis in children or neonate
• Sepsis and children
• Sepsis in neonates
• Septic shock

Journals

Journals of interest for children and young people sepsis. Use these links to see details of availability.

• Archives of Disease in Childhood
• Open access journal:
  Critical care
• Journal of Critical Care

Explore

The Sepsis Game

• A game designed in collaboration with UK Sepsis Trust and NHS England for frontline clinical staff and support workers. It is an exciting, unusual and effective way to learn about sepsis. It can be played online.
  Play online
• Borrow from RCN Library Services

RCN Congress debate: Sepsis (22nd May 2019)

• Submitted by the RCN CYP Specialist Care Forum: this meeting of Congress discusses how we can further reduce avoidable harm and death from sepsis. This item was originally a Matter for Debate and was changed to a resolution. The resolution was passed.
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NHS Choices: Sepsis

• Information aimed at the public.
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