Risk stratification tool for children aged 5-11 years with suspected sepsis
Risk stratification tool for children aged 5-11 years with suspected sepsis
Category | Age | High Risk Criteria | Moderate to high risk criteria | Low Risk Criteria |
Behaviour | Any | Objective evidence of altered behaviour or mental state Appears ill to a healthcare professional Does not wake or if roused does not stay awake | Not behaving normally Decreased activity Parent or carer concern that the child is behaving differently from usual | Behaving normally |
Respiratory | Any
| Oxygen saturation of less than 90% in air or increased oxygen requirement over baseline
| Oxygen saturation of less than 92% in air or increased oxygen requirement over baseline
| No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met |
Aged 5 years | Raised respiratory rate: 29 breaths per minute or more | Raised respiratory rate: 24-28 breaths per minute | No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met | |
Aged 6 – 7 years |
Raised respiratory rate: 27 breaths per minute or more | Raised respiratory rate: 24-26 breaths per minute | No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met | |
Aged 8–11 years | Raised respiratory rate: 25 breaths per minute or more
| Raised respiratory rate: 22-24 breaths per minute | No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met | |
Circulation and hydration | Any | Heart rate less than 60 beats per minute | Capillary refill time of 3 seconds or more Reduced urine output For catheterised patients, passed less than 1 ml/kg of urine per hour | No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met |
Aged 5 years | Raised heart rate: 130 beats per minute or more | Raised heart rate: 120-129 beats per minute | No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met | |
Aged 6-7 years | Raised heart rate: 120 beats per minute or more | Raised heart rate: 110-119 beats per minute | No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met | |
Aged 8-11 years | Raised heart rate: 115 beats per minute or more | Raised heart rate: 105-114 beats per minute | No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met | |
Skin | Any | Mottled or ashen appearance Cyanosis of skin, lips or tongue Non-blanching rash of skin | ||
Temperature | Any | Tympanic temperature less than 36°C | ||
Other | Any | Leg pain Cold hands or feet | No high risk or moderate to high risk criteria met |
The UK Sepsis Trust have produced a form for evaluation of possible sepsis for use in primary care (2):
Reference:
- NICE. Suspected sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management. NICE guideline NG51. Published July 2016, last updated March 2024
- UK Sepsis Trust. The Sepsis Manual. General Practice recognition & management of Sepsis in adults and children and young people over 12 years. 7th edition. 2024
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