Pediatric patients should be treated differently than adults when managing this life-threatening infection.

摘要

In 2005, there were more than 75,000 pediatric hospitalizations for severe sepsis costing $4.8 billion, with the incidence continuing to increase.1 While the monetary cost is staggering, more important are the morbidity and mortality associated with a severe sepsis event.Farris et al. studied 28-day functional outcomes for pediatric patients with severe sepsis who required mechanical ventilation and at least one inotropic or vasopressor infusion. The results showed that 46% of the 466 subjects had a decline in functional status, and that 32% didn't survive or had a poor functional outcome at 28 days.2 In light of these alarming statistics, much of the literature highlights the importance of continued research. Also, the results-of adult studies many times don't translate into the same results in the pediatric population.Within the pediatric segment of healthcare, the statement, "children are not just little adults," should guide interventions and treatment for pediatric sepsis.