Sepsis affects all ages, races, ethnicities, and genders. It accounts for more than 8% of all Pediatric Intensive Care Unit admissions and causes more than 4.5 million deaths in children annually worldwide.
Pediatric sepsis is one of our leading public health problems.
Did you know that TIME is of the utmost importance when recognizing and treating sepsis? Development of policies, procedures, treatments, pathways, screening tools, and care bundles to standardize care has improved early detection of pediatric sepsis worldwide.
Here at Cooper, we monitor for pediatric sepsis by using the Pediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS). PEWS assists in early identification of pediatric patients whose condition is worsening. By following best practice guidelines and decreasing the amount of time to recognition and therapy, this leads to overall improved outcomes including lower mortality rates, decreased length of stay, and reduction in organ injuries.
Incorporating PEWS into daily assessments can detect trends as early as six to eight hours before a patient deteriorates and needs emergent care. PEWS is scored based on assessments in three clinical categories: behavior, cardiovascular, and respiratory. The higher the score, the worse the patient’s condition may be and the greater the likelihood the patient is developing sepsis.
At Cooper, a certain score triggers a Rapid Response and immediate evaluation by the pediatric critical care team. Upon assessment, the team determines appropriate management, including the need for escalation of care to the Intensive Care Unit. This process allows for timely evaluation and intervention for patients who are acutely deteriorating.
As an HRO organization, communication and collaboration between nurses and providers to ensure patient safety is essential through keen assessment skills, clinical judgment, and respectful multidisciplinary coordinated care.
Remember TIME is of the essence and early warning signs save lives.