Sepsis can be difficult to diagnose, as patients can
present with nonspecific signs, particularly in the early
stages or in young children. Patients with these diseases
may deteriorate quickly and may undergo irreversible
injury or succumb to death. The following highprofile
case study from 2012 demonstrates the difficulty
in correctly diagnosing sepsis in children with
nonspecific symptoms: A 12-year-old patient presented
to the ED with gastroenteritis. The ED staff
relied on the referring provider’s diagnosis of gastroenteritis,
and alternative causes for his symptoms were
excluded. The patient’s initial vital signs showed no
fever. However, at discharge, the patient’s vital signs
were not reviewed by the physician, and abnormal labs
were not reviewed or acted upon. The final diagnosis
upon the patient’s return was streptococcal toxic syndrome.
The patient died.12