ABSTRACT
Sepsis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients in most intensive care units. Sepsis is recognized as the systemic response to infection, and connotes a clinical syndrome that may occur in any age group, in markedly different patient populations, and in response to a multitude of microbial pathogens from multiple different anatomical sites within the human body. It may range in severity from mild systemic inflammation without significant chemical consequences to multisystem organ failure and septic shock with an exceedingly high mortality rate. This chapter is an update of the understanding of the relationship between sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction and failure, the underlying pathophysiology and outcomes of both, and contemporary strategies for the prevention and treatment of sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.
