Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (2022) Statement on the initial antimicrobial treatment of sepsis V2.0. London: AoMRC.

• View page

Dean E (2024) What the new Paediatric Early Warning Score means for nurses, Nursing Children and Young People, 36(1), pp. 8–10.

• View article

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.
  View page

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. 

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NHS England (2023) National paediatric early warning system (PEWS).

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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
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Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health: Paediatric sepsis podcasts

• Listen here

The UK Sepsis Trust: Clinical tools

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The UK Sepsis Trust (2022) The sepsis manual. 6th edn. Birmingham: The UK Sepsis Trust.

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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.

• View article

We would like to thank the RCN CYP Acute member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.

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.
  Access through RCN Library

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.
  Access through RCN Library

Gormley-Fleming E and Roberts S (eds.) (2023) Children and young people’s nursing at a glance. 2nd edn. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.

• Access through RCN Library

Prowse A (2018) Three-and-a-half heartbeats. London: Head of Zeus in association with the UK Sepsis Trust.

• Access through RCN Library

Smith S (ed.) (2023) Advanced paediatric life support: a practical approach to emergencies. 7th edn. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.

• Access through RCN Library

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.
  Access through RCN Library

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

• Meningococcal disease/ meningitis in children or neonate
• Sepsis and children
• Sepsis in neonates
• Septic shock in children

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

• Archives of Disease in Childhood
• Critical care
• Journal of Critical Care
• Pediatric critical care medicine

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.
  View page

The Sepsis Game

• Borrow from RCN Library Services