Safeguarding Students Part 2: Raising Awareness of Sepsis in Schools and Integrating Post-Sepsis Support
Recorded On: 03/21/2024
Description:
Sepsis affects more than 50 million people worldwide each year, and almost half are children. Although sepsis is the major cause of death within hospitals, up to 87% of sepsis cases originate in the community before patients are admitted. Any number of infections can trigger sepsis in school-aged children. In the second part of this 2-part series focusing on sepsis education and prevention for school-based healthcare professionals, we'll explore the crucial role of school-based healthcare professionals in recognizing the high risk for sepsis in children, including knowing the key signs and symptoms requiring escalation in care to either a PCP or emergency departments. We’ll also cover how to support children who have experienced sepsis. Attendees will learn practical strategies to identify and address time-sensitive clinical deterioration from sepsis, as well as how to best support the lingering effects of post-sepsis syndrome in students, to avoid unnecessary returns to the hospital and potential frequent readmissions.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the activity, the learner should be able to:
- Distinguish which children may be at highest risk for sepsis and summarize key signs and symptoms indicating clinical deterioration and need for timely escalation in care;
- List potential lasting affects pediatric sepsis survivors may face post-sepsis;
- Describe strategies for supporting students and their families during and post-sepsis;
- Identify educational opportunities for educating students and their families on the importance of early sepsis recognition and treatment.
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.
Webinar Supporter:
This educational resource is supported by a grant from the Del E. Webb Foundation.
Sepsis Alliance gratefully acknowledges the support provided by the Sepsis Alliance Institute Sponsor.
Fran Balamuth, MD, PhD, MSCE
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
University of Pennsylvania
Fran Balamuth MD, PhD, MSCE, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania and an attending physician in the emergency department at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Balamuth’s research interests focus on pediatric sepsis recognition using both epidemiologic and translational approaches, for which she has received both NIH and foundational funding. She is the co-primary investigator of the PROMPT BOLUS trial, a multinational pragmatic trial that compares saline vs. balanced fluids in pediatric sepsis and will be the largest acute care pediatric trial in history. In addition, she co-leads the CHOP Pediatric Sepsis Program, which supports and promotes local clinical, research, educational, and quality improvement initiatives around sepsis. She is an internationally recognized sepsis leader and has been invited to serve on the national steering committee for the Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes quality collaborative through the U.S. Children’s Hospital Association, and three international task forces focused on defining pediatric sepsis through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, and the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
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.
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.
Find additional resources to help prevent infections and sepsis in children and young adults.
Flyer: Infection Prevention and Sepsis Prevention in Teens
Flyer: Infection Prevention and Sepsis Prevention in Young Children
Video: Bug Helps You Learn to Stay Sepsis Safe
END SEPSIS: Comprehensive K-12 Sepsis Curriculum
Healthcare Professional Educational Courses:
- Transitions of Care for Pediatric Sepsis Survivors: From Hospital to Home
- Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship: Preventing AMR and Beyond
- Sepsis Risks and Clinical Considerations in Pediatric Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- Sepsis in Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Case Reviews
- Post-COVID Conditions in Children and Young People
- I Got the Fever: Monitoring Sepsis and Systemic Inflammation in Children
- Filling the Tank: An Update on Fluid Resuscitation in Pediatric Sepsis
- Sepsis in Kids: It’s Not a Small Problem
- Understanding the New Pediatric Sepsis Guidelines
- Sepsis: Pediatric First Response