Multiorgan system failure in sepsis

Sepsis is life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to a particular infection. When a septic patient is in shock, mortality surpasses 40%. The aforementioned multiorgan dysfunction is not uniformly distributed however. In about 50% of individuals, the most frequently affected systems are the cardiovascular and respiratory. Renal dysfunction occurs in ~30% of patients. Mortality and end-organ damage prevented by prompt interventions aimed at hypoperfusion avoidance and source control. If organ dysfunction is identified, the next step is to treat it with the available tools (mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, etc) and avoid further damage.