Sepsis: Pediatric First Response

In the United States, severe sepsis accounts for nearly 100,000 pediatric emergency department visits each year. In addition, nearly 20% of children treated for septic shock arrive in the emergency department via ambulance.

First responders are on the frontlines of sepsis recognition and early treatment and need to know the signs and symptoms of sepsis and how to initiate treatment in pediatric patients.

Access the educational materials below to help improve pediatric sepsis recognition and care.

Training Module: Sepsis: Pediatric First Response

For healthcare providers: Learn how to identify, assess, and begin treatment for pediatric patients with sepsis.

This course covers:

• The role of prehospital providers in sepsis identification, assessment, and treatment of pediatric patients with sepsis
• The role of clinical measurements, including blood pressure, lactate, end-tidal CO2, and temperature in sepsis assessment
• Treatment tools and techniques for pediatric sepsis
• Communication with the receiving emergency department

Free CE Credits available!

• 2.5 RN CE Contact Hours
• 2.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™
• 2.5 participation credits

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Children’s Hospital Association and Sepsis Alliance. Children’s Hospital Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Register today at The Sepsis Institute

Pediatric Sepsis and EMS Survey Results

Sepsis Alliance and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) have partnered to conduct a research survey among EMS practitioners in the United States to evaluate their readiness for pediatric sepsis encounters, their ability to recognize sepsis, and the sepsis education they receive.

Among the key survey findings:

• Only 41% of EMS practitioners are very confident in recognizing sepsis signs and symptoms, yet nearly all consider sepsis a medical emergency.
• Just over half of EMS practitioners are very aware of sepsis symptoms (54%), septic shock definition (54%), and sepsis alert criteria (51%).
• Only 39% of EMS practitioners could correctly identify all 4 early signs of sepsis: fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, and altered mental status.

Download the full survey report

General Education Video

Share this video with your colleagues, patients, and loved ones to ensure they know the signs and symptoms of pediatric sepsis. This video includes a reenactment of an EMS response to a pediatric sepsis case and expert commentary on sepsis in pediatric patients.

This video is dedicated to the memory of Edward Gabriel, MPA, EMT-P, CEM, CBCP and all the prehospital providers, first responders, and emergency personnel who save children’s lives every day.

Learn from leaders in the field, including:

• Rommie L. Duckworth, BS, LP – Award-Winning EMS Educator, Career Fire Captain and EMS Coordinator with 30 years of experience
• Charles Macias, MD, MPH – Chief Quality Officer, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital; Co-Chair of Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes Quality Improvement Collaborative of Children’s Hospital Association
• Runa Gokhale, MD, MPH – Medical Officer, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• The late Edward J. Gabriel, MPA, EMT-P, CEM, CBCP, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Incident Command and Control, ASPR

Want more resources on pediatric sepsis? Click here to get started.

Looking for information on Sepsis: First Response for adults? Click here.

Supporters and Partners

This training module has been endorsed by the National Association of EMS Educators.

Sepsis Alliance gratefully acknowledges the support provided by the Del E. Webb Foundation for this training module and video.

This educational activity has been a Joint Collaboration between Children’s Hospital Association and Sepsis Alliance.

The Pediatric Sepsis and EMS Survey was conducted in partnership with the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.