Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Disparities in Management and Outcomes of Critically Ill Adults with Sepsis.

Critical care pathologies are not immune to potential social challenges in both health equity and health disparities. Over the last century, as sepsis physiology and interventions have continued to improve clinical outcomes, recognition that such improvements are not seen in all diverse populations warrants an understanding of this disproportionate success. In this review, the authors evaluate sepsis incidence and outcomes across ethnicity, race, and sex and gender, taking into account social and biological categorization and the association of sepsis-related mortality and morbidity.

Assessing Social Determinants of Health During Critical Illness: Implications and Methodologies.

A growing body of literature has identified social determinants of health (SDoH) as potential contributors to health disparities in pediatric critical illness. Pediatric critical care providers should use validated screening tools to identify unmet social needs and ensure appropriate referral through multisector partnerships. Pediatric critical care researchers should consider factors outside of race and insurance status and explore the association between neighborhood-level factors and disparate health outcomes during critical illness.

Indicators of Neighborhood-Level Socioeconomic Position and Pediatric Critical Illness.

Background: With recent prioritization of equity in pediatric health outcomes, a shift to examine neighborhood-level health care disparities within pediatric populations has occurred, specifically in the context of critical illness.

Research Question: Does an association exist between individual indicators of neighborhood-level disadvantage and incidence of PICU admission?

Study Design And Methods: Pediatric patients younger than 18 years admitted to a PICU in a large urban tertiary pediatric hospital from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2019, with a residential address in the city of Baltimore or Baltimore County on the day of admission were included in this ecological study. Demographic and clinical characteristics of children admitted to the PICU were summarized, with the primary outcome being PICU admission.