Study Information

Sepsis and septic shock are life-threatening emergencies in children. In Canada, approximately 4000 children are hospitalized annually for sepsis or septic shock with a median hospital length of stay of 12 days. Despite widespread implementation of resuscitation protocols, in-hospital mortality from sepsis in children in Canada remains at 5%. Two types of crystalloid fluids are used for rapid intravascular expansion in sepsis: Normal Saline (NS) or Balanced Fluid (BF). The goal of the multi-national Pragmatic Pediatric Trial of Balanced Versus Normal Saline Fluid in Sepsis (PRoMPT BOLUS) study is to examine if in children presenting to the Emergency Department in septic shock resuscitation with BF will result in improved clinical outcomes compared to resuscitation with NS.