Black children almost 3 times more likely to die from sepsis in US
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Key takeaways:
- Deaths related to bacterial sepsis decreased from 1.7 per 100,000 children in 1999 to 1.2 per 100,000 children in 2019.
- Black children were 2.7 times more likely to die from sepsis compared with white children.
The proportion of children dying from sepsis is lower than it was 20 years ago, but Black children are still at a significantly higher risk than white children, according to a study presented at IDWeek.
“This study is going to let us see a lot of loopholes in our health care system,” Ladonna Boasiako, MD, MPH, MSHI, said during a press conference. “Highlighting this important study is going to bring awareness onto ways and means we can ... address this important issue in this country.”
Last year, the CDC launched a program to help hospitals improve their sepsis survival rates. And earlier this year, the Society of Critical Care Medicine published the first new criteria for diagnosing pediatric sepsis since 2005.
For their study, Boasiako and colleagues analyzed CDC data on bacterial sepsis-related deaths among children between 1999 and 2019.
“The prevalence of bacterial sepsis is highest when you look at all forms of infections, especially in vulnerable populations like children and people in underserved communities,” Boasiako said.
Overall, 23,466 children died from bacterial sepsis during the 20-year period, according to the researchers. Sepsis deaths decreased from 1.7 per 100,000 children in 1999 to 1.2 per 100,000 children in 2019. The decrease was similar across most demographic groups, according to a press release. However, Boasiako and colleagues found that non-Hispanic Black children were 2.7 times more likely to die from sepsis compared with non-Hispanic white children, and that the ratio did not change significantly over the study period.
By improving health care access, educating providers about conditions that can cause sepsis and promoting culturally competent care, “we will be able to see a significant reduction in these disparities that we have talked about, and also will be able to curb the issue of sepsis-related mortality as a whole,” Boasiako said. “No child deserves to die of sepsis in this modern world that we live in now.”
References:
- Black children nearly three times more likely to die from sepsis. Published Oct. 16, 2024. Accessed Oct. 16, 2024. [Provided prior to publication online]
- Boasiako L, et al. Abstract 384. Presented at: IDWeek; Oct. 16-19, 2024; Los Angeles.
Perspective
Back to Top
L. Nelson Sanchez-Pinto, MD, MBI, FAMIA
This study underscores a critical issue in pediatric sepsis care across the United States. Despite a steady decline in overall mortality from this deadly disease over the past 2 decades, there remains a distressingly persistent disparity: non-Hispanic Black children face significantly higher mortality rates compared with their non-Hispanic White counterparts — a gap that has seen little improvement over time. This finding should serve as a resounding call to action for clinicians, researchers and policymakers alike.
I think we are dealing with more systematic issues and social determinants of health rather than individual physician decision-making. Awareness is a great first step, though.
Collapse
Boasiako L, et al. Abstract 384. Presented at: IDWeek; Oct. 16-19, 2024; Los Angeles.
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts