ReviewPediatric research2020
Challenges in developing a consensus definition of neonatal sepsis.
Review in Pediatric research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 71 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
71 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 141 citations in OpenAlex.
- Neonatal sepsis definitions from randomised clinical trials.Pediatric research · 2023Pooled it
- Association between innate immunity gene polymorphisms and neonatal sepsis development: a systematic review and meta-analysis.World journal of pediatrics : WJP · 2022Pooled it
- Antibiotic regimens for early-onset neonatal sepsis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Antibiotic regimens for late-onset neonatal sepsis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Trial
- Heterogeneity of Critical Organ Dysfunction During Late-Onset Bacteremia in Preterm Infants.JAMA network open · 2026Observational
- Association between 24-hour urine output during early non-invasive ventilation and short-term adverse outcomes in late preterm infants: a retrospective cohort study.Translational pediatrics · 2026Article
- Neonatal sepsis definitions for randomised-controlled trials: challenges and approaches.International journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Early-Onset Neonatal Infection and Cerebral Palsy.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Article
- Validation of the ICD-10 Diagnoses of Early-Onset Neonatal Infection in the Danish National Patient Register from 2010 to 2018.Clinical epidemiology · 2026Article
- Antibiotic use in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy undergoing therapeutic hypothermia: time to rethink universal empirical treatment.European journal of pediatrics · 2025Article
- Early-Onset Neonatal Infection and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Nationwide Cohort Study.Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology · 2025Article
- Risk factors and risk-indicating model for early-onset neonatal sepsis after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes: A historical cohort study.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2025Article
- Article
- Early-Onset Neonatal Infection and Epilepsy in Children.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- Article
- Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, Thromboinflammation, and Septic Shock in Fetuses and Neonates.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Comparison of the accuracy of hematological parameters in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis: a network meta-analysis.Infection · 2025Article
- Theoretical impact of a bedside decision-making tool on antibiotic use for suspected neonatal healthcare-associated infection: an observational study.BMC pediatrics · 2025Observational
11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
18 authors at 10 institutions in 9 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Sepsis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal population, and at present, there is no unified definition of neonatal sepsis. Existing consensus sepsis definitions within paediatrics are not suited for use in the NICU and do not address sepsis in the premature population. Many neonatal research and surveillance networks have criteria for the definition of sepsis within their publications though these vary greatly and there is typically a heavy emphasis on microbiological culture. The concept of organ dysfunction as a diagnostic criterion for sepsis is rarely considered in neonatal literature, and it remains unclear how to most accurately screen neonates for organ dysfunction. Accurately defining and screening for sepsis is important for clinical management, health service design and future research. The progress made by the Sepsis-3 group provides a roadmap of how definitions and screening criteria may be developed. Similar initiatives in neonatology are likely to be more challenging and would need to account for the unique presentation of sepsis in term and premature neonates. The outputs of similar consensus work within neonatology should be twofold: a validated definition of neonatal sepsis and screening criteria to identify at-risk patients earlier in their clinical course. IMPACT: There is currently no consensus definition of neonatal sepsis and the definitions that are currently in use are varied.A consensus definition of neonatal sepsis would benefit clinicians, patients and researchers.Recent progress in adults with publication of Sepsis-3 provides guidance on how a consensus definition and screening criteria for sepsis could be produced in neonatology.We discuss common themes and potential shortcomings in sepsis definitions within neonatology.We highlight the need for a consensus definition of neonatal sepsis and the challenges that this task poses.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.