Daniel Hussey¹, Sarah Parsons^1,2

¹Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, South Bank, Melbourne; ²Department of Forensic Medicine Monash University

Sepsis is an overreaction of the immune system to infection associated with significant morbidity and mortality in both adults and children. Clinical diagnosis of sepsis requires evidence of infection and organ dysfunction. Postmortem diagnosis can be difficult due to many factors including putrefaction, bacterial translocation and lack of circumstantial information. Biomarkers commonly utilised for the diagnosis of sepsis include procalcitonin and C-reactive protein (CRP). There is a paucity of studies on the efficacy of these markers in diagnosing sepsis in children postmortem.  This study examined the utility of these markers in diagnosing sepsis at autopsy in children.  All cases of death in a child <15 years that underwent an internal examination at VIFM over a 9-year period were examined. Data extracted included microbiology and virology results, demographic, CRP, procalcitonin and cause of death. CRP and procalcitonin value postmortem were of limited utility in certain circumstances.