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Children and Young People: Sepsis

Use this guide to find information resources about children and young people's sepsis including books, reports and journal articles.

Last updated: 16/04/2026

Key Resources

Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (2022) Statement on the initial antimicrobial treatment of sepsis V2.0. London: AoMRC.
Dean E (2024) What the new Paediatric Early Warning Score means for nurses, Nursing Children and Young People, 36(1), pp. 8–10.
Department of Health and Health Education England: Spotting the sick child
  • An interactive tool to support health professionals in the assessment of the acutely sick child. You will need to register to use this site.
Hoy B, Stoianova S, Williams T et al (2023) Infection related deaths of children and young people in England: National Child Mortality Database Programme thematic report. Data from April 2019 to March 2022. Bristol: National Child Mortality Database. 
NHS England (2023) National paediatric early warning system (PEWS).
Peters A (2020) Searching for sepsis. Don't Forget the Bubbles.
  • Summary and analysis of journal article: Nijman R G, Jorgensen R, Levin M, Herberg J, and Maconochie I K (2020) Management of children with fever at risk for pediatric sepsis: a prospective study in pediatric emergency care, Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8. doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.548154
Two nursing staff looking at a computer Clinical resources on RCN Learn
Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health: Paediatric sepsis podcasts
The UK Sepsis Trust: Clinical tools
The UK Sepsis Trust (2022) The sepsis manual. 6th edn. Birmingham: The UK Sepsis Trust.
Weiss S L, Peters M J, Alhazzani W et al. (2020) Surviving sepsis campaign international guidelines for the management of septic shock and sepsis-associated organ dysfunction in children, Intensive Care Medicine. 46, pp. 10–67.
We would like to thank the RCN CYP Acute member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.

Books

Book cover Bruce E, Williss J A, Gibson F and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (2023) The Great Ormond Street Hospital manual of children and young people’s nursing practices. 2nd edn. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.
  • Chapter 9 covers early recognition and management of the seriously ill child.
Book cover Duncan C, Talano J and McArthur J (eds.) (2019) Critical care of the pediatric immunocompromised hematology/oncology patient: an evidence-based guide. Cham: Springer.
  • Chapter 10 covers early recognition of critical illness.
Book cover Gormley-Fleming E and Roberts S (eds.) (2023) Children and young people’s nursing at a glance. 2nd edn. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.
Book cover Prowse A (2018) Three-and-a-half heartbeats. London: Head of Zeus in association with the UK Sepsis Trust.
Book cover Smith S (ed.) (2023) Advanced paediatric life support: a practical approach to emergencies. 7th edn. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.
Book cover Tasker R C, Acerini C L, Holloway E, Shah A and Lillitos P (eds.) (2021) Oxford handbook of paediatrics. 3rd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Pages 56-57 cover paediatric sepsis.

Journal articles

Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.

Journals

Journals of interest for children and young people sepsis. Use these links to see details of availability.

Explore

Once Upon a Time... a history of children and young people's nursing exhibition. RCN Exhibition: Once Upon a Time... a history of children and young people's nursing exhibition.
  • This exhibition explores the history of children and young people’s nursing – from the first children's hospitals to the development of family-centred care today.
    View online exhibition
NHS Choices: Sepsis
  • Information aimed at the public.
The Sepsis Game

This subject guide relates to:

CYP Acute Care and Emergency Care Forum
RCN Library staff

Joseph Dempster

Editor of this guide

RCN Library and Museum

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Page last updated - 16/04/2026

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