Continuum of care in pediatric sepsis: a prototypical acute care delivery model

Sepsis is a burdensome public health problem and a leading cause of infant and child morbidity and mortality across the world. Few proven therapies exist to treat septic shock and the mainstay of management remains judicious fluid resuscitation and timely antibiotics. In its most recent iteration, the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) guidelines on hemodynamic support in pediatric septic shock recommends an institutional approach to the management of septic shock rather than one aimed at the individual practitioner. The acute care delivery model has been proposed as a way to guide quality improvement in emergency care and to improve care delivery. In this review, we summarize current recommendations in the management of pediatric patients with septic shock, and highlight opportunities to provide seamless care by application of the acute care model.