ABSTRACT
Multiorgan failure is an important concept in the management of critical illness. The major threat to survival is often not the primary illness but rather a process of progressive failure of vital, interdependent organ systems. Applying clinical criteria to define organ failure, sepsis, septic shock, and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) permits the early detection and intervention before these changes lead to irreversible organ failure. Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome is a clinical constellation of severe physiologic changes occurring sequentially or concomitantly in multiple organs, most commonly in the setting of sepsis, severe inflammatory disorder, trauma, burns, or generalized perfusion deficits associated with hypovolemic shock of diverse cause. Serial monitoring of the major organ systems is necessary to detect early derangements in function. Monitoring to evaluate the function of multiple organ systems should include objective blood tests such as a complete blood count, arterial blood gas analysis, serum biochemical profile, and tests of coagulation function.
