This is the definitive, gold-standard text on sepsis and multiple-organ dysfunction. It is comprehensive and thoroughly referenced: the one text in which all current knowledge on this important topic is brought together. The book is written by a team of international contributors, overseen by an internationally acclaimed editorial team.

An experienced physician knows how to recognize a patient suffering from sepsis, but cannot accurately determine whether the patient will survive. Cardinal elements of the treatment for sepsis include specific antibiotic and vasoactive drugs, enteral and parenteral nutrition, artificial respiration, and optimization of the oxygen transport to tissues. Nonetheless, with a certain frequency, these techniques are insufficient to ensure the recovery of a critically ill patient, especially when it is necessary to overcome functional alterations subsequent to organ and vital-system overload. The key elements in the progression of the sepsis-MODS syndrome are tied to numerous factors. These include: the severity and location of the lesion; the patient's age; the remaining functional reserve; the presence of mediatory which may be stimulatory, inhibitory or both.

Sepsis is a syndrome or sometimes it is a clinical condition evoked by uncontrolled endotoxin-reactions. These pathophysiological alterations can disturb the organism's homeostasis leading ultimately to a condition of severe organ dysfunction which in itself means a bad prognosis for patient survival. In the last decades researchers and clinicians have been involved in process directed to a better understanding of the basic mechanisms of sepsis and MODS. The best goal will be the achievement of preventive measures and optimization of management in patients suffering severe infections and critical conditions. This objective represents a true challenge at the dawn of the XXI century.

The critical care unit manages patients with a vast range of disease and injuries affecting every organ system. The unit can initially be a daunting environment, with complex monitoring equipment producing large volumes of clinical data. Core Topics in Critical Care Medicine is a practical, comprehensive, introductory-level text for any clinician in their first few months in the critical care unit. It guides clinicians in both the initial assessment and the clinical management of all CCU patients, demystifying the critical care unit and providing key knowledge in a concise and accessible manner. The full spectrum of disorders likely to be encountered in critical care are discussed, with additional chapters on transfer and admission, imaging in the CCU, structure and organisation of the unit, and ethical and legal issues. Written by Critical Care experts, Core Topics in Critical Care Medicine provides comprehensive, concise and easily accessible information for all trainees.

Sepsis represents a life threatening condition to ICU patients. The evolution of sepsis to severe sepsis or septic shock may occur in an unpredictable way. In the coming millennium the prevention and management of sepsis and organ dysfunction will present a real challenge for researchers and clinicians.

There have been tremendous advances in understanding the cellular mechanisms involved in sepsis and contributing to the development of multiple organ dysfunction and mortality in this setting. The chapters in this book provide up-to-date insights into important pathways that are initiated by sepsis.