Black Children Nearly Three Times More Likely To Die From Sepsis
AT A GLANCE
- Childhood sepsis-related deaths have declined significantly, from 1.7 deaths per 100,000 children in 1999 to 1.2 deaths per 100,000 children in 2019.
- However, non-Hispanic Black children remained nearly three times (2.7 times) as likely to die from sepsis compared to non-Hispanic White children.
Sepsis-related deaths decreased among U.S. children from 1999 to 2019, but significant racial disparities persist, according to new findings presented at IDWeek 2024. More than 75,000 children with sepsis are admitted to U.S. hospitals each year, and the condition can quickly become fatal without proper, timely treatment.
The sepsis-related mortality rate decreased overall from 1.7 deaths per 100,000 children in 1999 to 1.2 deaths per 100,000 children in 2019, and decreased among all demographic groups. Despite these improvements, non-Hispanic Black children remained nearly three times (2.7 times) as likely to die from sepsis compared to non-Hispanic White children.
Researchers conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of national death certificate data from 1999 to 2019 using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s WONDER database. Bacterial sepsis was the underlying cause of death for 23,466 children during the study period.
“No child should have life cut short by a preventable complication, and disparities in childhood sepsis deaths are alarming and unacceptable,” said Ladonna Boasiako, MD, MPH, MSHI, presenting author of the study. “While the decline in overall death rates suggests sepsis can be reduced, the disparity underscores the urgent need to spread best practices to reach all children.”
Experts say the findings fill a critical gap in understanding and addressing sepsis’s impact on children. Most sepsis research in the United States focuses on adults, and little is known about the prevalence of sepsis and disparities in treatment and outcomes among pediatric patients.
Researchers say this research underscores the need for further study to unravel the underlying causes of disparities, such as differences in access to care and other barriers to prompt diagnosis and treatment.
In addition to Dr. Boasiako, study co-authors include: Patricia Pappoe, MBChB; Manye Ami Asante-Darko, MBChB; Felix Nii Saka Allotey, MBChB, BSc; Jennifer Peseo, MBChB; Chidinma S. Ononogbu, MBChB; and Fredrick Dapaah-Siakwan, MD, FAAP.
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