Sepsis en bebés y niños

Por: Sylvia Owusu-Ansah MD, MPH, FAAP

Cualquier persona puede contraer una infección, y casi cualquier infección puede
conducir a la respuesta extrema sepsis del cuerpo a una infección. Sin tratamiento
oportuno, sepsis (a veces llamada septicemia o septicemia) puede conducir rápidamente
a daños en los tejidos, insuficiencia orgánica y muerte.

La sepsis puede afectar a cualquier persona en cualquier momento, pero sí tienden a

atacar los muy ancianos y los muy jóvenes. Los niños, especialmente los recién nacidos
y los niños pequeños, pueden ser más susceptibles a desarrollar sepsis. Las personas con
problemas de salud subyacentes también tienen un riesgo más alto.

Cada año en los EE.UU., más de 75.000 bebés y niños presentan sepsis grave. Casi
7.000 de estos niños mueren-más muertes que los niños que mueren de cáncer.

Esté alerta a los signos y síntomas de sepsis:

Detecting sepsis early and starting immediate treatment is often the difference between
life and death. Parents and caregivers must seek immediate medical care if they suspect
their child has an infection that is not improving or is getting worse. Sepsis may have
been preceded by an infection such as a urinary tract infection, pneumonia, or a skin or
bone infection.

The signs and symptoms of sepsis can include a

combination of any of the following:
 Fever or low temperature (newborns and infants may have low temperature)

 Fast heart rate

 Fast breathing

 Feeling cold/cold hands and feet

 Clammy and pale skin

  Confusion, dizziness or disorientation

 Shortness of breath

 Extreme pain or discomfort

 Nausea and vomiting

Important Note:Many of these signs and symptoms alone are common in babies and
children when they are sick. Most of the time, they do not have sepsis. However, when
more than one of these signs and symptoms happen together, or when a baby or child
just seems sicker than usual—you should seek medical help. If your baby or child's skin
is cold, pale, or has developed strange colors or markings; if your baby or child has
become unresponsive or is struggling to breathe; or if your baby has dry diapers for
more than 12 hours—you should take him or her to the emergency room without delay.

How Is Sepsis Treated?

Sepsis, or even suspected cases of sepsis, are treated in the hospital. Often, babies and
children will need care in an intensive care unit (ICU). Fighting the infection is an
emergency. Doctors and nurses will give IV antibiotics to fight the infection. Many
other things may be needed to fight sepsis—IV fluids, special heart and/or blood
pressure medications, and medications to keep children calm and comfortable. In some
cases, children may need a ventilator to help with breathing.

You might hear the term "sepsis work-up."

"Sepsis work-up" refers to the combination of tests used to diagnose the specific cause
of a child's infection. It is important to figure out what type of virus or bacteria is
causing the infection. The sepsis work-up may include testing blood, urine, and spinal
fluid; an x-ray or an ultrasound test may also be included.

Neonatal Sepsis:
When a child develops sepsis within a few months of birth (up to 90 days), it is called
neonatal sepsis. If the sepsis develops within the first hours or days after birth, it is
called early onset sepsis. Sepsis that develops after the baby is 1 week old is called late-
onset neonatal sepsis. Premature infants develop sepsis more often than infants who are
born on time.

Sepsis in Older Children:

As children get older, their exposure to illness can increase as they attend child care, go
to school, and participate in activities, such as sports. Children, like adults, can develop
bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections, skin infections,
pneumonia,appendicitis, andmeningitis. Left untreated, these can all lead to sepsis.

What to Expect in the Hospital:

Most sepsis patients are admitted to the hospital. Babies and children who are extremely
sick may be cared for in the hospital ICU.
Babies and children will need to have IV's placed to give fluid and medications. They
will have needle sticks for blood tests. Depending on their age, a soft tube or a needle
might be needed to get urine for testing. To test spinal fluid, the baby or child may also
need a spinal tap. This involves placing a hollow needle in the back to take a small
sample of spinal fluid—the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain. Testing the
spinal fluid is important to determine the baby or child has meningitis. On occasion,
surgery may be required for those who have surgical infections leading to sepsis such as
a severe skin or bone infection or appendicitis.

Parents and Caregivers Can Help Stop This

Medical Emergency in Its Tracks.
 Talk with your pediatrician about steps you can take to prevent infections.

 Some steps include taking good care ofchronic health conditions and following
recommended vaccination schedules.

 Practice good hygiene, such ashandwashing, and keeping cutsclean until healed.

 Know the signs and symptoms of sepsis.

 ACT FAST. Get medical care IMMEDIATELY if you suspect your child has
sepsis or an infection that's not getting better or is getting worse.

Additional Information & Resources:

 Simple Steps to Prevent Infections During Pregnancy

 Reducing the Spread of Illness in Child Care

 Prevent Urinary Tract Infections in Children

 Cuts, Scrapes & Scar Management: Parent FAQs

 Trends in the Epidemiology of Pediatric Severe Sepsis(Pediatric Critical Care

Medicine)

 Get Ahead of Sepsis (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)

 World Sepsis Day

About Dr. Dr. Owusu-Ansah:

 Sylvia Owusu-Ansah MD, MPH, FAAP is a board-certified
pediatrician and pediatric emergency medicine physician who is currently an attending
in Pittsburgh at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh UPMC and Director of Prehospital and
EMS. Within the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Owusu-Ansah sits on the
Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine and has worked with the D.C. office on
federal, state, and community advocacy issues including the School Access to
Emergency Epinephrine Act. Dr. Owusu-Ansah is married to a firefighter/paramedic
and has two beautiful daughters.

Last Updated

9/11/2017
Source

American Academy of Pediatrics (Copyright © 2017)

La información contenida en este sitio web no debe ser utilizado como un sustituto para el cuidado médico y consejo de su pediatra. Puede
haber variaciones en el tratamiento que su pediatra podría recomendar, en base a hechos y circunstancias individuales.