Choice of Pressor in Pediatric Septic Shock

Choice of Pressor in Pediatric Septic Shock

From TamingtheSRU by UC Department of Emergency Medicine

September 29, 2025 · 9 min

About this episode

Dr. Newton discusses a study comparing epinephrine and norepinephrine in pediatric septic shock and its implications on mortality.

Septic shock remains a leading cause of pediatric mortality, but the choice of first-line vasoactive agent has long been debated. Dr Newton, a PGY-3, discusses this single-center retrospective cohort study comparing epinephrine and norepinephrine as initial infusions in children with septic shock. While the primary kidney outcome (MAKE30) showed no difference, epinephrine was linked to higher 30-day mortality in propensity-matched analysis. The findings are hypothesis-generating and highlight the need for prospective pediatric trials.

People in this episode

Guest: Dr Newton

Topics covered

  • pediatric septic shock
  • vasoactive agents
  • epinephrine
  • norepinephrine
  • mortality outcomes
  • clinical trials

Keywords

  • septic shock
  • pediatrics
  • epinephrine
  • norepinephrine
  • mortality
  • MAKE30
  • clinical study

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UC Department of Emergency Medicine

Books & works: Choice of Pressor in Pediatric Septic Shock

More episodes of TamingtheSRU

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the TamingtheSRU podcast page.