Pediatric Sepsis Interventions and Mortality in a Tertiary Emergency Medicine Department in Tanzania

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Investigator: Brooklyn Dominguez, MS
Sponsor: Global Health Sciences Education

Location(s): Tanzania

Description

Background: About 70% of pediatric deaths in Tanzania are attributed to preventable and curable diseases. One such disease is pediatric sepsis, for which morbidity and mortality and mortality are lacking. As an essential component for increasing pediatric survival rates, emergency medicine plays a critical role in treating pediatric patients presenting with sepsis. Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania has created and implemented a Pediatric Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Protocol in their Emergency Medicine Department to help guide the course of treatment for children presenting with sepsis. The research question sought to explore sepsis interventions that included those listed in the protocol as well as the association between antibiotic administration and mortality.

Research Question: What are the most frequent sepsis interventions and what is the association between antibiotic administration and mortality in pediatric patients presenting to the emergency medicine department of Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania?

Mentor: Dr. Teresa B. Kortz, MD, MS, PhDc