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Sepsis

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Children's hospitals treat nearly 65 percent of sepsis cases in children.

Understanding Sepsis

Challenge sepsis. Change lives.

Sepsis, often called blood poisoning, can start with something as simple as a scrape or as complex as surgery. Every year sepsis affects a million people in the U.S., including as many as 40,000 children, but most people have never heard of it. 

Research has advanced our understanding of sepsis, yet it remains a leading cause of death in hospitalized children, and survivors face long-term health issues. Early recognition of sepsis will save children's lives. 

Featured Resource

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Article
Two Analytical Approaches for Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes September 11, 2018

Multidisciplinary teams determine improvement opportunities and effectively educate staff members to advance sepsis detection and treatment.

Resources

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Article
What This Mom Learned About Sepsis After Her Son Survived It
October 23, 2018

Nikki Schueller learned a lot about sepsis after her son’s six battles with it. Here’s what she wants all health care providers to know.

Article
Two Analytical Approaches for Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes
September 11, 2018

Multidisciplinary teams determine improvement opportunities and effectively educate staff members to advance sepsis detection and treatment.

Article
3 Areas Where Children's Hospitals are Improving Detection and Care of Pediatric Sepsis Patients
April 25, 2018

Early detection of sepsis can save a child's life, yet defining the detection plan and effective intervention following diagnosis is a challenge.

Article
5 Quality and Safety Projects Ready for Replication
March 21, 2018

From clinical effectiveness to sepsis detection in the emergency department, here are ideas any hospital can implement.

Article
3 Actions to Improve Sepsis Detection and Management in the Pediatric Emergency Department
March 8, 2018

Data plays a key role in helping this hospital document the treatment of sepsis patients.

Article
The Flu and Sepsis: Mandatory ED Screenings Detect Deadly Condition
February 21, 2018

Here's how one children's hospital is working to rapidly detect sepsis, which has new importance during flu season.

Article
The Role of Critical Care Nurses in Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes
February 8, 2018

Developing systems that support and empower nurses can meet the challenges of providing the right care across the sepsis continuum.

Article
Multidisciplinary Approach Leads to Increased Sepsis Detection, Faster Treatment
October 25, 2017

Here's how one hospital has driven its sepsis detection rate to nearly 100 percent.

Reference Material
Children's Hospitals Plan to Observe Sepsis Awareness Month
September 30, 2017

Examples of how children's hospitals are using Sepsis Awareness Month and World Sepsis Day to educate their employees and communities.

Article
Sepsis Alliance Names Children's Hospital Association a 2017 Sepsis Hero
September 28, 2017

The honor recognizes CHA and its member hospitals' leadership in improving outcomes for pediatric sepsis through efforts such as its innovative Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes (IPSO) collaborative.

Article
This Hospital Proved Investing in Sepsis Quality Initiatives can Improve Outcomes and Reduce Costs
September 7, 2017

​Here's how to demonstrate the difference quality improvement investments make.

Reference Material
Sepsis Awareness Month Events
August 29, 2017

September is Sepsis Awareness Month. Learn how CHA is focusing attention on pediatric sepsis, and find resources and events.

Article
Families and Clinicians Fight Against Sepsis
August 1, 2017

Parents and clinicians reflect on the experience of helping kids fight sepsis.

Article
STAT Article Features Sepsis Collaborative Work
April 27, 2017

A national news article released today explores what makes sepsis a leading killer of children and how 44 children’s hospitals are working with CHA to improve the diagnosis and survival rate from sepsis by 75 percent.

Article
Pediatric Sepsis Patient Stories
April 27, 2017

Read compelling stories of how early recognition and treatment of sepsis saves lives. The sepsis stories project is part of the Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes collaborative, a multi-year quality initiative to significantly reduce sepsis-related mortality and morbidity across children’s hospitals.

Article
Two Sepsis Recognition Tools are Saving Kids' Lives
March 29, 2017

Nurses play a central role on pediatric sepsis response teams, where collaboration between providers is critical to timely recognition and treatment of sepsis.

Article
8 Lessons From Children's Hospitals Working to Improve Sepsis Outcomes
March 22, 2017

Here are early insights from the first year of CHA's pediatric sepsis collaborative.

Article
Nursing On the Forefront of the Battle Against Pediatric Sepsis: A Webinar for Clinicians
January 11, 2017

CHA's 2017 Sepsis Webinar Series kicks off with a closer look at clinicians who are changing pediatric sepsis outcomes.

Article
National Sepsis Expert: Children’s Hospitals Can Mobilize to Reduce Severe Sepsis and Sepsis Deaths
November 9, 2016

Charles Macias, M.D., M.P.H., Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes collaborative co-chair, discusses the potential for improved outcomes in sepsis care when hospitals work together.

Announcement or News
CDC Blog Spotlights Pediatric Sepsis and Collaborative
September 12, 2016

Guest authored by CHA's COO Amy Knight, the CDC Safe Healthcare blog post spotlights pediatric sepsis and CHA's new collaborative.

Fact Sheet
Stages of Sepsis in Children
September 9, 2016

Sepsis can progress very quickly in children's small bodies. Learn the signs and symptoms of sepsis stages.

Announcement or News
Washington Post Runs Letter to the Editor on Pediatric Sepsis
September 6, 2016

The Sept. 4 letter highlighted the work of the Children's Hospital Association's new sepsis collaborative.

Fact Sheet
What is Sepsis?
September 1, 2016

Sepsis, often called blood poisoning, can start with a simple scrape or surgery, and is a leading cause of death in hospitalized children.

Reference Material
New CDC Vital Signs Report Labels Sepsis a Medical Emergency
August 30, 2016

The CDC joins many organizations to emphasize the importance of early recognition of sepsis, which can cause life-threatening illness or death.

Article
Sepsis: Battling a Leading Cause of Death in Hospitalized Children
July 28, 2016

Sepsis is highly elusive in its early stages. To combat it, hospitals must adopt tools, team-based approaches and change culture.

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Sepsis Collaborative

Join hospitals across the U.S. to defeat pediatric sepsis. Enrollment is open through June 30, 2019.

Upcoming Events

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Webinar Series

In this free series, national pediatric sepsis experts help children's hospitals improve how they care for patients with sepsis.

Patient Stories

Sepsis Stories

Read compelling stories of how early recognition and treatment of sepsis saves lives. 

Sepsis Course

Using evidence-based practice, clinicians can improve outcomes by reducing variability across the continuum of sepsis care.

Allied Efforts

Champions for Children's Health

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