Sepsis Alliance Symposium: Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis

Sepsis Alliance Symposium: Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis is organized by Sepsis Alliance and will be held on May 16, 2024.

Description:
Sepsis, an indiscriminate threat that can strike anyone regardless of their health status or age, tends to disproportionately affect certain populations. Pregnant individuals and newborns are among those at higher risk of sepsis-related complications. Sepsis accounts for at least 261,000 maternal deaths each year worldwide, accounting for approximately 11% of all maternal deaths. Across the U.S. between 2017-2019, 14.3% of pregnancy-related deaths were due to infection or sepsis. Maternal sepsis ranks as the second leading cause of maternal fatalities, and globally sepsis is the number one cause of mortality in newborns and young infants.

Maternal sepsis typically occurs when an infection takes hold in the aftermath of childbirth, whether it be at the site of a C-section incision, a tear, or another postpartum wound, occurring in the days or weeks following delivery. Any infection, such as Strep B, pneumonia, or a urinary tract infection, occurring during pregnancy or in the postpartum period, can also potentially escalate into sepsis. Infections can be passed from the birthing parent to child during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, putting the infant also at risk for developing sepsis.

It is imperative that healthcare professionals understand the unique risks that maternal and neonatal patients have regarding sepsis to efficiently and accurately assess and diagnose sepsis.

To address this issue, Sepsis Alliance is hosting the 2024 Sepsis Alliance Symposium: Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis. This live, virtual event, scheduled for May 16, 2024, will cover critical topics related to sepsis in maternal and neonatal patients, offering attendees the most up-to-date clinical knowledge and treatment recommendations for these populations. The key outcome of this half-day event is to establish the burden of sepsis in maternal and neonatal patients and improve clinical outcomes for patients affected by sepsis.

Covered topics will include:
• Perinatal outcomes in patients with sepsis during pregnancy;
• Improving maternal equity, health outcomes related to infections and sepsis, and antimicrobial stewardship through health policy;
• Clinical diagnosis and management of neonatal sepsis;
• Discharge and transitions of care for birthing parents and newborns.

Learning Objectives: 
At the end of the activity, the learner should be able to:
• Identify the unique risks and burden of sepsis in pregnancy and newborns;
• Summarize the steps to recognizing sepsis in maternal patients and newborns;
• Restate how health policies can be used to improve maternal equity and patient outcomes;
• Summarize the relationship between healthy equity and maternal and neonatal outcomes and sepsis.