Stress Hydrocortisone In Pediatric Septic Shock

Inclusion criteria

• ✓. Age is at least 1 month (with corrected gestational age ≥42 weeks), but less than 17 years and 8 months of age
• ✓. A documented focus of infection or a strong suspicion of infection at PICU admission, or for patients who develop septic shock during PICU stay, at the onset of the septic shock event
• ✓. Surveillance cultures (e.g. blood, urine, cerebral spinal fluid, wound) and/or other microbial diagnostic tests have been obtained
• ✓. One or more antimicrobials have been prescribed
• ✓. Core temperature \>38.5 C or \<36.0 C or leukocytosis or leukopenia (as defined by the local laboratory) or a left-shifted leukocyte differential (\>10% immature granulocyte forms) or a neutrophil count of \<0.5 x 109 cells per litre documented at least once within the 24 hours preceding screening
• ✓. Treatment with a continuous infusion of vasoactive-inotropic agent(s) to maintain mean or systolic arterial blood pressure above the age-appropriate target set by the treating clinician
• ✓. Administration of two or more vasoactive-inotropic agents at any dose or epinephrine or norepinephrine infusion(s) alone at greater than or equal to 0.10 mcg/kg/min for \>1 hour.

Exclusion criteria