ABSTRACT
I. Relationship Between Sepsis and Acute Lung Injury The interrelationship of sepsis (i.e., systemic inflammatory response with presumed infection) and acute lung injury (ALI) is complex. Sepsis, is the most common cause of ALI, accounting for 40-50% of all cases (1,2) and a reciprocal relationship exists in that the lung is the most common site of infection leading to the development of sepsis (3). When an acute organ system dysfunction occurs in patients with sepsis, the syndrome is termed “severe sepsis” (4). ALI is the most common organ dysfunction qualifying patients for the diagnosis of severe sepsis. Consequently, the rapidly increasing incidence of severe sepsis results in evermore cases of lung injury (5). Thus, ALI is often the result of sepsis and by virtue of an acquired vulnerability to infection; ALI victims often develop secondary sepsis (6).
