Timely Shock Treatment in Suspected Pediatric Sepsis Not Improved by Predictive Clinical Decision Support

Clinical Decision Support for Septic Shock in the Emergency Department: A Cluster Randomized Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40490252/ An AHRQ-funded study in Pediatrics found that a clinical decision support (CDS) tool did not increase the proportion of patients treated for septic shock before shock developed in pediatric emergency departments. In 1,331 encounters with pediatric patients across four emergency departments, researchers tested the ability of a CDS tool based on machine learning predictive models to shorten the time between suspected sepsis and shock treatment. While screening tools for pediatric sepsis have been implemented in emergency departments, this was the first prospective study with a control group. Providers receiving CDS alerts administered standard treatment for sepsis in 39 percent of cases, while providers in the control group gave treatment in 38.9 percent of cases without the assistance of the CDS. However, all four participating units chose to continue using the CDS tool, citing the reliability and infrequency of its alerts, as well as its value as a backup support for a priority area of patient safety.