Children and Young People: Sepsis

NHS England: National Paediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS)

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Dean E (2024) What the new Paediatric Early Warning Score means for nurses, Nursing Children and Young People, 36(1), pp. 8–10.

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Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (2022) Statement on the initial antimicrobial treatment of sepsis V2.0. London: AoMRC.

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The UK Sepsis Trust: Clinical tools

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The UK Sepsis Trust (2022) The sepsis manual. 6th edn. Birmingham: The UK Sepsis Trust.

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Royal College of Nursing (2017) Standards for assessing, measuring and monitoring vital signs in infants, children and young people, London: RCN.

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Department of Health and Health Education England: Spotting the sick child

• 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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Peters A (2020) Searching for sepsis. Don't Forget the Bubbles.

• Summary and analysis of journal article: Nijman R G, Jorgensen R, Levin M, Herberg J, and Maconochie I K (2020) Management of children with fever at risk for pediatric sepsis: a prospective study in pediatric emergency care, Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8. doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.548154
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Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health: Paediatric sepsis podcasts

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Weiss S L, Peters M J, Alhazzani W et al. (2020) Surviving sepsis campaign international guidelines for the management of septic shock and sepsis-associated organ dysfunction in children, Intensive Care Medicine. 46, pp. 10–67.

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We would like to thank the RCN CYP Acute member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.

Smith S (ed.) (2023) Advanced paediatric life support: a practical approach to emergencies. 7th edn. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.

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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.
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Duncan C, Talano J and McArthur J (eds.) (2019) Critical care of the pediatric immunocompromised hematology/oncology patient: an evidence-based guide. Cham: Springer.

• Chapter 10 covers early recognition of critical illness.
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Gormley-Fleming E and Roberts S (eds.) (2023) Children and young people’s nursing at a glance. 2nd edn. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.

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• Chapter 10 covers septic screening, chapter 94 covers sepsis and septicaemia.
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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.
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Prowse A (2018) Three-and-a-half heartbeats. London: Head of Zeus in association with the UK Sepsis Trust.

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• A novel focusing on the death of a child from sepsis.
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Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.

• Meningococcal disease/ meningitis in children or neonate
• Sepsis and children
• Sepsis in neonates
• Septic shock

Journals of interest for children and young people sepsis. Use these links to see details of availability.

• Archives of Disease in Childhood
• Open access journal:
  Critical care
• Journal of Critical Care

The Sepsis Game

• A game designed in collaboration with UK Sepsis Trust and NHS England for frontline clinical staff and support workers. It is an exciting, unusual and effective way to learn about sepsis. It can be played online.
  Play online
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NHS Choices: Sepsis

• Information aimed at the public.
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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.
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