Epidemiology of community acquired sepsis in children in Australia and New Zealand: a multicentre prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background: Paediatric sepsis epidemiology is unclear due to variability in case ascertainment. We describe the epidemiology of community acquired sepsis in Australian and New Zealand children using the Phoenix sepsis criteria. Methods: Prospective observational study conducted in 11 hospitals through the Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) Network from April 2021 to December 2023. Children aged 0–<18 years with suspected sepsis were included. Demographic information, therapies administered, and outcomes were collected, and the Phoenix sepsis criteria were applied. Findings: Of 822,072 children assessed, 6232 (0.8%) children had suspected sepsis..