Pediatric Sepsis Update: How Are Children Different?

BACKGROUND: Although there are some commonalities between pediatric and adult sepsis, there are important differences in pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and therapeutic approaches. The recognition and diagnosis of sepsis is a significant challenge in pediatric patients as vital sign aberrations and examination findings are often subtle as compared to those observed in adults. Gaps in knowledge that have been studied in depth in adult sepsis are still being investigated in pediatric patients such as best practices in ventilation, invasive monitoring, and resuscitation. DISCUSSION: In this review, we address key differences in the etiology, presentation, resuscitation, and outcomes of sepsis in children compared with adults.