Agrawal A, Janjua D, Jadon G. Role of biomarkers in pediatric sepsis: What evidence says? World J Clin Pediatr 2026; 15(1): 111999 [DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.111999]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Amit Agrawal, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Gandhi Medical College, Hamidia Hospital Campus, 49-B Indrapuri, B-Sector, Bhopal 462001, Madhya Pradesh, India. agrawaldramit@yahoo.co.in
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Pediatrics
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Minireviews
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Mar 9, 2026 (publication date) through Mar 12, 2026
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Publication Name
World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics
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2219-2808
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Agrawal A, Janjua D, Jadon G. Role of biomarkers in pediatric sepsis: What evidence says? World J Clin Pediatr 2026; 15(1): 111999 [DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.111999]
World J Clin Pediatr. Mar 9, 2026; 15(1): 111999 Published online Mar 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i1.111999
Role of biomarkers in pediatric sepsis: What evidence says?
Amit Agrawal, Dalwinder Janjua, Gaurav Jadon
Amit Agrawal, Department of Pediatrics, Gandhi Medical College, Hamidia Hospital Campus, Bhopal 462001, Madhya Pradesh, India
Dalwinder Janjua, Department of Neonatology, Latifa Women and Children Hospital, Dubai 7662, United Arab Emirates
Gaurav Jadon, Department of Pediatrics, Mediclinic Welcare Hospital, Dubai 31500, United Arab Emirates
Author contributions: Agrawal A was responsible for concept, manuscript review, manuscript editing, and revising the article critically for important intellectual content; Janjua D and Jadon G were responsible for acquisition and interpretation of data, drafting the article, and literature review; all the authors approved the final manuscript (and any substantially modified version that involves the author's contribution to the study).
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Corresponding author: Amit Agrawal, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Gandhi Medical College, Hamidia Hospital Campus, 49-B Indrapuri, B-Sector, Bhopal 462001, Madhya Pradesh, India. agrawaldramit@yahoo.co.in
Received: July 15, 2025 Revised: August 27, 2025 Accepted: November 14, 2025 Published online: March 9, 2026 Processing time: 234 Days and 16 Hours
Abstract
Sepsis is common in hospitalized pediatric patients, leading to increased morbidity, including multiple organ dysfunction and mortality. Fluid resuscitation and antibiotic administration are the primary protective mechanisms for sepsis. However, not all infections are bacterial, and unnecessary antibiotic use increases the risk of developing multidrug resistance; therefore, it is essential to distinguish bacterial from viral or other infections. Routine laboratory investigations cannot always identify the cause of diseases, but assessing different biomarker levels can help identify these infections and treat sepsis accordingly. This mini-review aims to critically analyze the available evidence supporting the use of biomarkers in pediatric sepsis. We have used the search engines PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar to retrieve relevant information. We reviewed studies evaluating various biomarkers used for sepsis diagnoses, like C-reactive protein, ferritin, lactate, procalcitonin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, etc. Apart from the diagnosis, trials are being conducted to assess the role of these biomarkers in monitoring and guiding antibiotic therapy to promote early recovery. The sensitivity of each biological marker varied in different studies, and no single biomarker can identify all types of infections. More robust studies are necessary to compare the roles of various biomarkers in diagnosing and guiding the appropriate therapy.
Core Tip: Sepsis is common in hospitalized pediatric patients, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Routine laboratory investigations cannot always identify the cause of diseases, and many biomarkers have been used to detect these infections. This review analyses the available evidence supporting the use of biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein, ferritin, lactate, procalcitonin, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The sensitivity of each marker varied in different studies, and no single biomarker can be used to identify all infections. Apart from the diagnosis, studies have assessed the role of these biomarkers in optimizing antibiotic therapy to promote early recovery.
