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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffSepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition, in which your immune system's reaction to an infection may injure body tissues far from the original infection.
As sepsis progresses, it begins to affect organ function and eventually can lead to septic shock — a sometimes fatal drop in blood pressure.
People who are most at risk of developing sepsis include:
- The very young and the very old
- Individuals with compromised immune systems
- Very sick people in the hospital
- Those who have invasive devices, such as urinary catheters or breathing tubes
Early treatment, usually with large amounts of intravenous fluids and antibiotics, improves chances for survival.
- Neviere R. Sepsis and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome: Definitions, epidemiology and prognosis. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Shapiro NI, et al. Sepsis syndromes. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/133981928-3/0/1365/424.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50141-4--cesec18_7402. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Enrione MA, et al. Sepsis, septic shock and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/133981928-3/0/1608/514.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50178-X--cesec6_4006. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Neviere R. Pathophysiology of sepsis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 27, 2009.
- Rivers EP, et al. Improving outcomes for severe sepsis and septic shock: Tools for Early identification of at-risk patients and treatment protocol implementation. Critical Care Clinics. 2008;23:S1.
- Chest X-ray. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=chestrad. Accessed April 29, 2009.
- CT: Body. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodyct. Accessed April 29, 2009.
- Abdominal ultrasound. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=abdominus. Accessed April 29, 2009.
- MRI of the spine. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=spinemr. Accessed April 29, 2009.
- Schmidt GA, et al. Management of severe sepsis and septic shock in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 29, 2009.
