Postoperative sepsis rates increased among children who were hospitalized early in the pandemic, a study published June 1 in Hospital Pediatrics found.
For the study, researchers analyzed quality data on 88,140 patients discharged from U.S. children's hospitals between March 15 and May 31, 2020. They also looked at data on 399,113 patients discharged between the same period from 2017-19. Data came from the Children's Hospital Association's Pediatric Health Information System.
Unadjusted pediatric quality indicator rates — a set of measures that focus on preventable complications — were higher during the pandemic than before.
After adjusting for factors such as diagnosis and clinical severity, researchers found the rate of postoperative sepsis among pediatric patients was 28 percent higher during the pandemic compared to before.
Based on these findings, study authors said more efforts are needed to improve the safety of postoperative care for hospitalized children.