Viral Sepsis in Children

Gupta, Neha; Richter, Robert; Robert, Stephen; Kong, Michele

There is a paucity of data regarding treatment and management of viral infection. Supportive care is the current mainstay of therapy for most viral infections, particularly for respiratory viruses. Though broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy may be prudent until a bacterial source for sepsis has been definitively ruled-out, sustained antibiotic treatment has no role in the management of viral sepsis except in the case of bacterial coinfections. Many viral infections can be prevented with the use of hand hygiene, environmental decontamination, use of personal protective equipment, elimination of second-hand smoke, and isolation of infected children (131) . Additional protection can be conferred by administering vaccines for common communicable viruses. These preventive strategies are of particular importance in high-risk patients. As the scope of available vaccines and anti-viral therapies remains rather limited, development of novel vaccines and treatment is critical (131) .