2026 Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines for Children: Translating New Evidence into Clinical Practice
Includes a Live Web Event on 10/13/2026 at 11:00 AM (PDT)
Description:
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET / 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PT
The 2026 Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines for Children introduce updated recommendations for the recognition and management of pediatric sepsis and septic shock. This webinar will examine how new evidence may influence clinical decision-making across the continuum of care, from initial evaluation through treatment and ongoing management. Through case-based examples, attendees will consider practical approaches for incorporating the recommendations into clinical workflows, institutional pathways, and quality improvement efforts. Ample time will be reserved for audience questions and clarification about applying the guidelines in diverse pediatric care settings.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the activity, the learner should be able to:
- Restate key changes in the 2026 Pediatric Surviving Sepsis Guidelines and identify the supporting evidence;
- Apply the updated recommendations to the evaluation and management of children with suspected sepsis and septic shock using case-based clinical scenarios;
- Develop strategies to implement the 2026 guideline recommendations within local clinical pathways and quality improvement initiatives to promote timely, evidence-based pediatric sepsis care.
Target Audience:
Nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, emergency responders, pharmacists, medical technologists, respiratory therapists, physical/occupational therapists, infection prevention specialists, data/quality specialists, and more.
Scott L. Weiss, MD, MSCE, FCCM
Division Chief, Critical Care Medicine, Vice Chair for Research, Department of Pediatrics
Sidney Kimmel Medical Center at Thomas Jefferson University, Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware
Scott L. Weiss, MD, MSCE, FCCM is Division Chief of Critical Care and Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Pediatrics at Nemours Children’s Hospital (DuPont)-Delaware and Professor of Pediatrics & Pathology and Genomic Medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. He has served as the co-Vice Chair for the Pediatric Surviving Sepsis Campaign for the 2020 and 2026 iterations, and has published widely on pediatric sepsis recognition, management, and pathology. Dr. Weiss’ research focuses on epidemiology and mitochondrial dysfunction in pediatric sepsis, including risk factors, biomarkers, and mechanisms of sepsis-induced immune dysregulation and organ dysfunction. He is also the co-PI of the multinational Pragmatic Pediatric Trial of Balanced versus Normal Saline fluid in Sepsis (PRoMPT BOLUS).
Lauren Sorce, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC/PC, CCRN, FCCM, FAAN
Senior Director Nursing Research and Operations; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Critical Care); Pediatric Critical Care APRN
Posy and Fred Love Chair in Nursing Research, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Lauren R. Sorce, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC/PC, FCCM, FAAN is the Senior Director Nursing Research and Operations at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute where she also holds the Posy and Fred Love Chair in Nursing Research. She is the Senior Scientist in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago where she has practiced as a Pediatric Critical Care Nurse Practitioner for 28 years. She is an Assistant Research Professor at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. She received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Nursing from Loyola University, followed by her post-Masters Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certificate and her PhD from Rush University.
Dr. Sorce is Past President of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the first pediatric nurse serving as President of the multiprofessional Critical Care Society since its inception in 1971. Dr. Sorce had a research interest for years bringing many multicentered trials to the PICU. She has also been funded to study corneal abrasions and worked on numerous research teams to study post-intensive care syndrome, stress hydrocortisone in pediatric septic shock, positioning in PARDS, and criteria for convening family conferences in the ICU. She has reset the clinical research strategy in the PICU over the past several years where she has led monthly research operations meetings and a monthly Think Tank.
Her current work is investigating severity of illnesses associated with the nasopharyngeal microbiome. Dr. Sorce was co-vice chair of the SCCM Taskforce for the development of the PHOENIX pediatric Sepsis score and participated in the development of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign Pediatric Guidelines. She has served in leadership roles on numerous local and international committees as well as participating on editorial boards.
Sepsis Alliance is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Sepsis Alliance designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP17068 for 1.2 contact hours.
Other healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance for 1.0 contact hours.
All individuals in control of content disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Medical Disclaimer
The information on or available through this site is intended for educational purposes only. Sepsis Alliance does not represent or guarantee that information on or available through this site is applicable to any specific patient’s care or treatment. The educational content on or available through this site does not constitute medical advice from a physician and is not to be used as a substitute for treatment or advice from a practicing physician or other healthcare professional. Sepsis Alliance recommends users consult their physician or healthcare professional regarding any questions about whether the information on or available through this site might apply to their individual treatment or care.