Black pediatric patients are twice as likely to die from sepsis than white children, according to research from the Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
The study retroactively analyzed data from 3,514 patients who had sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock between January 2018 and April 2022. The data revealed that Black children had a mortality rate of 3.13% compared to white childrens’ mortality rate of 1.27%.
While several early detection methods and tools have been developed to reduce sepsis-caused deaths in hospitals across the U.S., the research shows that “Despite these advancements, Black children continue to have increased mortality rates,” lead investigator Michael Stroud, MD, a pediatric critical care specialist in Little Rock at the children’s hospital stated in the Oct. 20 news release.
The research will be presented Oct. 21 by Dr. Stroud at the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2023 national conference.