Sepsis is a leading cause of death in children globally, with previously insufficient criteria for identifying high-risk cases.

The Society of Critical Care Medicine developed the Phoenix Criteria for Pediatric Sepsis and Septic Shock.

The Phoenix Criteria use a scoring system to assess organ dysfunction and identify sepsis in children.

The criteria have been validated worldwide and show higher mortality rates for sepsis and septic shock.

The goal of the Phoenix Criteria is to improve clinical care, research, and epidemiology of pediatric sepsis globally.

The Phoenix Sepsis Score has shown higher sensitivity and positive predictive value for in-hospital mortality compared to previous criteria.

These criteria have been endorsed by various pediatric societies and can be implemented in electronic health care records.