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Sepsis: an Update on Current Improvement Efforts

  • Patient Safety (Ma Coffey, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of the Review

Sepsis remains a leading cause of pediatric deaths worldwide. The lack of adherence to internationally recognized care guidelines has made this area ripe for quality improvement (QI). The last decade has seen a surge in sepsis-related QI work from local to national levels which will have significant implications for pediatric health outcomes.

Recent Findings

Thoughtfully developed quality of care measures pertaining to the assessment and management of pediatric sepsis are instrumental to identifying and addressing gaps in care. Key drivers include timely recognition and rapid delivery of essential treatments, and therefore, the majority of QI work to date has focused on systematic screening and protocolized bundled care.

Summary

QI efforts in pediatric sepsis continue to evolve as new evidence and technologies emerge. Ongoing local efforts have been strengthened by multicenter collaboratives which have focused on standardizing definitions and harnessing the power of electronic health records (EHR) to improve data collection and reporting.

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References and Recommended Reading

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Emergency Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, 525 University Avenue, Suite 1218, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2L3, Canada

    Deborah Schonfeld MD, FRCPC

  2. Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Deborah Schonfeld MD, FRCPC

  3. Pediatric Emergency Department, Advocate Children’s Hospital, Park Ridge and Oak Lawn, IL, USA

    Raina Paul MD, FAAP

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  1. Deborah Schonfeld MD, FRCPC
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  2. Raina Paul MD, FAAP
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Correspondence to Deborah Schonfeld MD, FRCPC.

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Schonfeld, D., Paul, R. Sepsis: an Update on Current Improvement Efforts. Curr Treat Options Peds 6, 366–376 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40746-020-00212-5

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