Introduction: Pediatric sepsis remains a significant cause of intensive care admissions and mortality worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Early identification of organ dysfunction is crucial for improving survival rates. The Pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (p-SOFA) score, adapted from the adult SOFA score, evaluates dysfunction across six organ systems-neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular, coagulation, hepatic, and renal. It is increasingly recognized as a reliable prognostic tool in pediatric intensive care settings.
Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted over one year in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of PGIMS, Rohtak. The study included fifty pediatric patients aged 1 month to 14 years who were diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock and admitted to the PICU. Patients with pre-existing chronic organ dysfunction were excluded. The p-SOFA score was calculated daily for each patient until discharge or death
Results: • The primary outcome measured was mortality. • The mean p-SOFA score in non-survivors was 15.67, while in survivors it was 10.74. • The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for p-SOFA was 0.93, indicating excellent predictive accuracy for mortality. • On Day 6 and beyond, 69.77% of patients were categorized as severe by the p-SOFA score.
Conclusions: The p-SOFA score is a robust and dynamic tool with excellent predictive accuracy for mortality in pediatric sepsis. It effectively identifies high-risk patients and supports clinical decision-making, particularly in resource-equipped settings.
