OBJECTIVE

To describe the diagnostic criteria of new and progressive multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and scoring systems that might be used to assess and monitor the severity and progression of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in children presented as part of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development MODS Workshop (March 26-27, 2015).

DATA SOURCES

Literature review, research data, and expert opinion.

STUDY SELECTION

Not applicable.

DATA EXTRACTION

Moderated by an experienced expert from the field, issues relevant to the monitoring of the severity of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome including new and progressive multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and scoring systems were presented, discussed, and debated with a focus on identifying knowledge gaps and research priorities.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Summary of presentations and discussion supported and supplemented by relevant literature.

CONCLUSIONS

Many sets of diagnostic criteria of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome are presently available. All are useful, but their diagnostic and predictive value can be improved. Several types of diagnostic criteria are candidates to describe the severity and to monitor the progression of cases of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, which include existing scores of organ dysfunction: Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction, version 2, daily Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction, version 2, organ failure-free days, etc. If a new set of diagnostic criteria of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome is created, its value must be validated. Furthermore, the epidemiology of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome based on these new diagnostic criteria must be compared with the epidemiology found with the preexisting sets of diagnostic criteria. The reliability as well as the added values of additional or new candidate markers of organ dysfunction and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome severity must be studied and compared.