Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42724376›Full record

ArticleHealth science reports2026

Evaluation of Sepsis Algorithmic Alerts Among Hospitalized Pediatric Patients in Qatar: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Ghadeer Mustafa, Lorna Cynthia Lorenzo, Muna Atrash, Mary Ann Tabios, Ayat Alsmadi, Khalid Sayed Elithy, Bashir Ali Yousif, Hala Elkuni Mohamed, Tejas Grishkumar Mehta, Parwaneh Shibani and 2 more

Abstract read
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Article in Health science reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Ghadeer MustafaDirector of Nursing Pediatrics Hamad Medical Corporation Al Wakra Qatar.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4237-0654
Lorna Cynthia LorenzoNurse Educator Pediatric Nursing Hamad Medical Corporation Al Wakra Qatar.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3562-7183
Muna AtrashQuality and Patient Safety Specialist Hamad Medical Corporation Al Wakra Qatar.
Mary Ann TabiosCharge Nurse Pediatric Inpatient Department Hamad Medical Corporation Al Wakra Qatar.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7926-7100
Ayat AlsmadiDirector of Nursing Pediatrics Hamad Medical Corporation Al Wakra Qatar.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3843-3627
Khalid Sayed ElithySenior Consultant Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics Hamad Medical Corporation Al Wakra Qatar.
Bashir Ali YousifSenior Consultant Pediatric Emergency Department, Department of Pediatrics Hamad Medical Corporation Al Saad Doha Qatar.
Hala Elkuni MohamedConsultant Pediatric Inpatient, Department of Pediatrics Hamad Medical Corporation Al Wakra Qatar.
Tejas Grishkumar MehtaSenior Consultant Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics Hamad Medical Corporation Al Wakra Qatar.
Parwaneh ShibaniExecutive Director of Nursing Hamad Medical Corporation Al Wakra Qatar.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3248-9671
Fatma ElayoutiHead Nurse Pediatric Emergency Department Hamad Medical Corporation Al Wakra Qatar.
Kalpana SinghSenior Epidemiologist Hamad Medical Corporation Doha Qatar.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2273-5062

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Aims: Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children globally and poses a significant challenge for early detection, particularly in pediatric populations where symptoms can be subtle. An automated system for screening algorithm for sepsis is built into the electronic health record (EHR) to assist in identifying sepsis ahead of time. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of an algorithmic sepsis alert system for early recognition of true or suspected sepsis among pediatric patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Pediatric Inpatient Unit at Al Wakra Hospital in Qatar. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using electronic health records of pediatric patients admitted between 01st Jan and 31st Dec 2019. Patients up to 14 years old with algorithmic alerts or clinical suspicion of sepsis were included. The study assessed the performance of algorithmic alerts, clinical suspicion, and physician judgment against defined sepsis criteria using sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and ROC curve analysis. Results: Among 1922 patients, with an average age of 30.2 ± 37.0 months and an average hospital stay of 3.7 ± 3.3 days, 56% were male, and 85.2% were admitted to the pediatric inpatient unit. Algorithmic alerts for potential sepsis were positive in 659 patients (34.3%) upon admission, while 35 patients (1.8%) had positive clinical suspicion. Physicians judged 114 patients (5.9%) as having sepsis, and 220 (11.4%) met the criteria for true sepsis. The algorithmic alert had 9.7% sensitivity and 87.6% specificity, while clinical suspicion had 34.3% sensitivity and 89% specificity. Management as sepsis showed 21.5% sensitivity; physician judgment had 26.3% sensitivity. Without alerts, clinical suspicion and management as sepsis had 11.1% sensitivity. Conclusion: The current pediatric sepsis alert system demonstrates low sensitivity but relatively high specificity. Clinical suspicion and physician judgment showed moderate improvements in sensitivity. Adjusting the algorithmic criteria may enhance early detection and reduce delays in management. A combined approach integrating algorithmic alerts with clinical evaluation is recommended to improve sepsis identification in pediatric patients.

Indexed as

algorithmic alertpediatric sepsissensitivity and specificitysepsis alertsepsis bundlesepsis protocolSIRS

Identifiers

PMID42724376
PMCPMC13559028

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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.