Sepsis definition: Difference between revisions

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==Overview==
==Overview==
==Definition of sepsis==
Sepsis is considered present if infection is highly suspected or proven and two or more of the following [[systemic inflammatory response syndrome]] (SIRS) criteria are met:<ref>Bone RC, Balk RA, Cerra FB, Dellinger RP, Fein AM, Knaus WA, Schein RM, Sibbald WJ. Definitions for sepsis and organ failure and guidelines for the use of innovative therapies in sepsis. The ACCP/SCCM Consensus Conference Committee. American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine. Chest. 1992 Jun;101(6):1644-55. PMID 1303622.</ref>
* [[Heart rate]] > 90 beats per minute
* Body temperature < 36 (96.8 °F) or > 38 °C (100.4 °F)
* [[Hyperventilation]] (high respiratory rate) > 20 breaths per minute or, on [[blood gas]], a P<sub>a</sub>CO<sub>2</sub> less than 32 mm Hg
* [[White blood cell]] count < 4000 cells/mm³ or > 12000 cells/mm³ (< 4 x 10<sup>9</sup> or > 12 x 10<sup>9</sup> cells/[[litre|L]]), or greater than 10% band forms (immature white blood cells).
Consensus definitions however continue to evolve with the latest expanding the list of signs and symptoms of sepsis to reflect clinical bedside experience.<ref>Levy MM, Fink MP, Marshall JC, Abraham E, Angus D, Cook D, Cohen J, Opal SM, Vincent JL, Ramsay G; SCCM/ESICM/ACCP/ATS/SIS. 2001 SCCM/ESICM/ACCP/ATS/SIS International Sepsis Definitions Conference. Crit Care Med. 2003 Apr;31(4):1250-6.</ref>
The more critical subsets of sepsis are severe sepsis (sepsis with acute organ dysfunction) and septic shock (sepsis with refractory arterial [[hypotension]]). Alternatively, when two or more of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria are met without evidence of infection, patients may be diagnosed simply with "[[SIRS]]." Patients with SIRS and acute organ dysfunction may be termed "severe SIRS."
Patients are defined as having "severe sepsis" if they have sepsis plus signs of systemic hypoperfusion; either end organ dysfunction or a serum lactate greater than 4 mmol/dL. Patient are defined as having [[septic shock]] if they have sepsis plus hypotension after an appropriate fluid bolus (typically 20 ml/kg of crystaloid).
The criteria for diagnosing an adult with sepsis do not apply to infants under one month of age. In infants, only the presence of infection plus a "constellation" of signs and symptoms consistent with the systemic response to infection are required for diagnosis (Oski's Pediatrics, 2006).


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 20:21, 20 April 2012