Commercial pediatric sepsis alert shows low sensitivity in ED study

A retrospective multicenter cohort study across 8 EDs in a New York health system evaluated the Epic Systems Pediatric Sepsis Early Detection Model (PESM) alert in 166,943 pediatric ED encounters, including 189 sepsis cases defined by Phoenix score of 2 or higher. The study reported overall sensitivity of 36%, positive predictive value of 3%, and sensitivity of only 30% for triggering before sepsis onset; sensitivity was lower still in Black children (22%), children under 5 (20%), and non-tertiary EDs (25%). The authors concluded the alert does not support timely or equitable pediatric sepsis screening.

Most relevant for: Clinicians using commercial sepsis alert systems in pediatric emergency department settings, particularly for young children and at non-tertiary centers.

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