ABSTRACT
Inflammatory responses usually complicate and accentuate critical illness, releasing many vasoactive and toxic chemicals, which, although designed to restore homeostasis, become pathological. They cause inflammation through the cardiovascular system, resulting in:
n vasodilatation n capillary leak n coagulopathies
and often progressive organ dysfunction. Although also seen with other pathologies, in ICUs this syndrome is seen most often with sepsis.
