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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Minerva Pediatr. 2015 Jan 21;67(2):141–158.

Table 1.

Definitions of pediatric SIRS, sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock1

SIRS
 The presence of at least two of the following four criteria, one of which must be abnormal temperature or leukocyte count.

  • Core temperature of >38.5°C or <36°C

  • Tachycardia (HR > 2 SD above normal for age) or, for children <1 year old, bradycardia (HR <10th percentile for age).

  • Tachypnea (RR >2 SD above normal for age)

  • Leukocyte count elevated or depressed for age or >10% bands

Sepsis
 SIRS in the presence of a suspected or known invasive infection.
Severe Sepsis Sepsis with one of the following

  • Cardiovascular organ dysfunction

  • Acute respiratory distress syndrome

  • Two or more other organ dysfunctions

Septic Shock
 Sepsis and cardiovascular organ dysfunction

SIRS, systemic inflammatory response syndrome; HR, heart rate; SD, standard deviation, RR, respiratory rate)

1

Adapted from Goldstein 2005