In Canada, one in every 18 deaths was estimated to be cause by sepsis (2017). Young children are among those who are most vulnerable to and most likely to die from sepsis. Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to infection begins to damage its own tissues and organs. It can be life-threatening if not recognized and treated promptly and those who survive can be left with lifelong disability.
Recognizing the signs and symptoms that signal deterioration from sepsis can be difficult, as sepsis mimics many other conditions in children. Standardized tools and checklists can support health workers with rapidly identify, prioritizing, and coordinating care for children with sepsis.
A Provincial Pediatric Sepsis Toolkit is being piloted in two sites across BC. Lessons from these early adopter sites will be used to refine the Toolkit before its implementation across the province. The aim is to improve sepsis recognition and management province-wide – from emergency departments at large urban hospitals to nursing stations are remote and isolated communities. The Toolkit was adapted to the BC context using the Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids (TREKK) Sepsis PedsPac and the Global Sepsis Alliance’s and Society of Critical Care Medicine’s Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines.
This initiative is being led Child Health BC, in collaboration with the Global Healthcare Alliance, BC Pediatric Society, Centre for International Child Health at BC Children’s Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, and regional health authorities. Child Health BC and its partners are establishing a Pediatric Working Group to support widespread implementation of the Toolkit, and are seeking healthcare providers who work in urgent and emergent care settings to participate in this Working Group.
If you have questions about the Toolkit, you can contact the Project Lead at Child Health BC, Melissa Coop, at MCoop@cw.bc.ca