Updated Pediatric Sepsis Criteria—Transitioning From SIRS to Phoenix

This JAMA Author Interview features Romain Pirracchio interviewing Dr. Hallie Prescott and Dr. Roberto Jabornisky about two JAMA articles concerning new criteria for pediatric sepsis and septic shock. The discussion centers on the importance and timeliness of these studies, particularly the development and validation of the Phoenix criteria. Dr. Prescott and Dr. Jabornisky share their perspectives on the need for a clear definition of sepsis in pediatrics, the methodologies used in the studies, and the potential clinical impact of the new criteria across different healthcare settings, including low-resource environments. The conversation highlights the shift from relying on Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria to focusing on organ dysfunction and the challenges of diagnosing infection in clinical practice.