Children and Young People: Sepsis
Find information resources about children and young people's sepsis including key resources, books, and journal articles. This guide is for RCN members including nursing students, nursing support workers, and registered nurses.
Last updated:
21/09/2026
Key Resources
Clinical resources on RCN Learn
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (2022) Statement on the initial antimicrobial treatment of sepsis V2.0. London: AoMRC.
British National Formulary (2026) Sepsis: treatment summaries.
Resuscitation Council UK (2025) Paediatric basic life support guidelines. Includes sepsis/shock information under special circumstances and the paediatric sepsis algorithm in the RCUK paediatric emergency algorithms and resources.
Dean E (2024) What the new Paediatric Early Warning Score means for nurses, Nursing Children and Young People, 36(1), pp. 8–10.
Department of Health and Health Education England: Spotting the sick child
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An interactive tool to support health professionals in the assessment of the acutely sick child. You will need to register to use this site.
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Hoy B, Stoianova S, Williams T et al (2023) Infection related deaths of children and young people in England: National Child Mortality Database Programme thematic report. Data from April 2019 to March 2022. Bristol: National Child Mortality Database.
NHS England (2023) National paediatric early warning system (PEWS).
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England specific resources
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National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2025) Suspected sepsis in under 16s: recognition, diagnosis and early management (NG254).
Philbin D and Ponmani C (2024) Spotting sepsis, Don't Forget the Bubbles.
Royal College of Emergency Medicine (2024) Recognising paediatric sepsis.
Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health: Paediatric sepsis podcasts
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (no date) UK paediatric early warning systems.
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (no date) Paediatric Early Warning System (PEWS): updates from UK nations.
The UK Sepsis Trust: Clinical tools. Update to the current paediatric tools following the 2025 NICE guideline review (NG254).
The UK Sepsis Trust (2024) The sepsis manual. 7th edn.
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A useful "Sepsis 6" infographic may be found on pages 54 and 83 of this resource.
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Weiss S L, Peters M J, Oczkowski S J W et al. (2026) Surviving Sepsis Campaign international guidelines for the management of sepsis and septic shock in children 2026, Intensive Care Medicine, 52, pp. 937-983.
We would like to thank the RCN CYP Acute member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.
Books
Bruce E, Williss J A, Gibson F and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (2023) The Great Ormond Street Hospital manual of children and young people’s nursing practices. 2nd edn. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell. -
Chapter 9 covers early recognition and management of the seriously ill child.
Access through RCN Library
Gormley-Fleming E and Roberts S (eds.) (2023) Children and young people’s nursing at a glance. 2nd edn. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.
Prowse A (2018) Three-and-a-half heartbeats. London: Head of Zeus in association with the UK Sepsis Trust.
Smith S (ed.) (2023) Advanced paediatric life support: a practical approach to emergencies. 7th edn. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.
Tasker R C, Acerini C L, Holloway E, Shah A and Lillitos P (eds.) (2021) Oxford handbook of paediatrics. 3rd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press. -
Pages 56-57 cover paediatric sepsis.
Access through RCN Library
Journal articles
Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.
Journals
Journals of interest for children and young people sepsis. Use these links to see details of availability.
Explore
RCN Exhibition: Once Upon a Time... a history of children and young people's nursing exhibition. -
This exhibition explores the history of children and young people’s nursing – from the first children's hospitals to the development of family-centred care today.
View online exhibition
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This resource addresses patient safety and recognising deterioration.
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NHS (no date) Sepsis.
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Information aimed at the public.
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The Sepsis Game
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Joseph Dempster
Editor of this guide
RCN Library and Museum
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29 Sep 2026
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10 Jun 2027
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RCN Children and Young People's Conference 2027
Page last updated - 21/09/2026
