Quality of Life After Sepsis

Sepsis contributes to significant morbidity and mortality in children. While mortality after pediatric sepsis may be decreasing, new morbidities and impacts on quality of life are increasingly recognized in children who survive sepsis. These new morbidities have the potential to disproportionately impact the entire life span of a child, and may indirectly affect parents, siblings, and future dependents. In addition to new disability, pediatric sepsis survivors are at risk for late mortality and readmission, and often require increased health care resources. First studies in the field indicate that over a third of pediatric sepsis survivors may have new disability between one to three months after sepsis diagnosis, with physical effects and behavioral impacts lasting years in some cases. There is an unmet need to identify children at risk of long-term sequelae early, to better characterize the new post-sepsis morbidities and their impact, define optimal approaches for post-discharge follow-up, and design effective interventions to enhance recovery and maximize quality of life in sepsis survivors.

In this Research Topic, we aim to describe the landscape of morbidity and quality of life for children who survive sepsis, the impact on their families, and the presence of disparities in outcomes, and to identify strategies to predict, monitor, and enhance the quality of life for pediatric sepsis survivors. Through this Research Topic, we aim to establish a roadmap for future work in pediatric sepsis outcomes research and delineate knowledge gaps and priorities for future research.

The scope of this topic covers various themes such as:

• the epidemiology of post-sepsis morbidity and quality of life
• the use of rehabilitation programs after pediatric sepsis
• descriptive and interventional studies of cognitive and behavioral outcomes and other neuropsychological aspects of survivors of pediatric sepsis
• long-term impacts of sepsis on children's functional status
• disparities in outcomes based on comorbidities, race, socioeconomic status
• research on how parents, siblings, and families are impacted by pediatric sepsis
• reports of existing support structures for children who survive sepsis, and
• description of the gaps in care and consumer support systems needed for sepsis survivors.

Works that report the results of primary research and systematic reviews in neonates, infants, children, and/or adolescents are encouraged. Submissions highlighting the burden of long-term sequelae after sepsis in middle- and low-resource countries will be welcomed. The editors will consider viewpoints, study protocols, and case reports if suitable. Reports on these topics limited to cohorts of pediatric sepsis survivors with specific sepsis etiologies, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria meningitidis, COVID-19, and so on, will also be considered.