About this episode

This episode discusses the updates in the 2026 Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines for pediatric sepsis care.

What has changed in the updated 2026 Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines for children? In this episode of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Podcast, host Elizabeth H. Mack, MD, MS, FCCM, speaks with pediatric SSC guideline cochairs Scott L. Weiss, MD, MSCE, FCCM, and Pierre Tissieres, MD, DSc, about the latest guideline recommendations for the care of children with sepsis and septic shock. The updated guidelines emphasize the early identification of sepsis, an evolution to a more targeted way of treatment, and a more practical approach to guideline implementation. Other aspects of the previous guidelines, such as lactate measurements, continuous reassessment, and the role of point-of-care monitoring, were reinforced in the 2026 guidelines. The guidelines, “Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines for the Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock in Children 2026,” were released in the April issue of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. Key updates and new areas of emphasis include: A more nuanced approach to sepsis screening and early recognition New guidance on supplemental oxygen, including limiting hyperoxia and using more conservative oxygenation targets…

People in this episode

Host: Elizabeth H. Mack, MD, MS, FCCM

Guests: Scott L. Weiss, MD, MSCE, FCCM, Pierre Tissieres, MD, DSc

Topics covered

• pediatric sepsis
• septic shock
• Surviving Sepsis Campaign
• guideline updates
• early identification
• treatment approaches
• long-term follow-up

Keywords

• sepsis
• septic shock
• guideline updates
• pediatrics
• early recognition
• treatment
• post-sepsis morbidity
• oxygenation targets

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Society of Critical Care Medicine

Books & works: Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines for the Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock in Children 2026, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

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