Severe sepsis is a common, deadly condition, usually caused by an infection (highly suspected or confirmed), which provokes a systemic inflammatory response. The inflammatory response is most commonly defined as the presence of two or more Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) Criteria (Table 1). The SIRS criteria are intentionally non-specific so that a large proportion of infected patients can be classified as septic. However, this broad inclusion limits the usefulness of a diagnosis of sepsis in distinguishing a high-risk patient population. the presence of two or more Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) Criteria (Table 1). The SIRS criteria are intentionally non-specific so that a large proportion of infected patients can be classified as septic. However, this broad inclusion limits the usefulness of a diagnosis of sepsis in distinguishing a…
Authors:
Jeffrey P. Green, M.D.