In this World Shared Practice Forum Podcast, first authors Drs. Frances Balamuth and Chanu Rhee describe the objectives and methodology for their study “National Estimates of Pediatric Sepsis in US Hospitals Using Clinical Data” published in the March 2026 edition of JAMA. They discuss the process of modifying the Phoenix Sepsis Criteria to an electronic health record-based Pediatric Sepsis Event (PSE) definition and the methods for validating this definition. The authors share salient findings from their study, noting the limitations, and share their hopes for the future direction of sepsis surveillance research.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Understand the derivation for the Pediatric Sepsis Event definition for electronic health record-based pediatric sepsis surveillance
- Review the validation process for the Pediatric Sepsis Event definition
- Compare the Pediatric Sepsis Event definition to the Phoenix Sepsis Criteria
- Discuss the results and limitations of the electronic health record-based study design
- Express the goals for the future direction of pediatric sepsis surveillance research
AUTHORS
Frances Balamuth, MD, PhD, MSCE
Professor of Pediatrics, Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Chanu Rhee, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Population Medicine
Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
Traci Wolbrink, MD, MPH
Senior Associate in Critical Care Medicine;
Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine
Boston Children's Hospital
Associate Professor of Anesthesia
Harvard Medical School
DATE
Initial publication date: June 23, 2026.
ARTICLES REFERENCED
Rhee C, Balamuth F, Dysart K, et al. National Estimates of Pediatric Sepsis in US Hospitals Using Clinical Data. JAMA. 2026;335(15):1321-1331. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41865411/
TRANSCRIPT
https://cdn.bfldr.com/D6LGWP8S/as/swj4kvkgg686b6p9whmbht/20260622_WSP_Rhee_and_Balamuth_Transcript
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CITATION
Balamuth F, Rhee C, O’Hara JE, Wolbrink TA. National Estimates of Pediatric Sepsis. 06/2026. OPENPediatrics. Online Podcast. https://soundcloud.com/openpediatrics/new-national-estimates-of.
