We have long known that sepsis is a leading cause of child mortality and hospitalization in the United States. Now, a new study published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)  provides the most precise estimates to date of the toll of pediatric sepsis nationwide. Researchers analyzed 3.9 million pediatric hospitalizations from 2016 through 2023 across hundreds of hospitals and health systems.

According to the study, sepsis is a factor in nearly one in five pediatric hospital deaths in the United States. Approximately one in every 75 pediatric hospitalizations experience sepsis, and more than one in ten children die during hospitalization. In total, more than 18,000 hospitalized children in the United States develop sepsis each year; more than 1,800 do not survive. 

The study further finds that most pediatric sepsis cases are community-acquired and present at the time of hospital admission. However, the smaller proportion of cases that develop during hospitalization are associated with a higher risk of mortality.

Understanding the scale of a problem is the first step toward solving it. These findings underscore the urgent need for greater public awareness of sepsis, improved prevention strategies, and stronger hospital-based efforts for rapid identification and treatment.

We commend the study’s authors, led by Dr. Chanu Rhee, MD, MPH, of Harvard Medical School, for this important contribution to our understanding of pediatric sepsis. We hope these findings will help galvanize meaningful action.

Read the complete study: National Estimates of Pediatric Sepsis in US Hospitals Using Clinical Data

Read the accompanying editorial: Surveillance of Sepsis in Children—Making Every Case Count