This practically oriented book provides an up-to-date overview of all significant aspects of the pathogenesis of sepsis and its management, including within the intensive care unit. Readers will find information on the involvement of the coagulation and endocrine systems during sepsis and on the use of biomarkers to diagnose sepsis and allow early intervention. International clinical practice guidelines for the management of sepsis are presented, and individual chapters focus on aspects such as fluid resuscitation, vasopressor therapy, response to multiorgan failure, antimicrobial therapy, and adjunctive immunotherapy. The closing section looks forward to the coming decade, discussing novel trial designs, sepsis in low- and middle-income countries, and emerging management approaches. The book is internatio nal in scope, with contributions from leading experts worldwide. It will be of value to residents and professionals/practitioners in the fields of infectious diseases and internal medicine, as well as to GPs and medical students.

Hospital-acquired infections are common and often result in life-threatening complications, mostly facing critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. Patients with hospital-acquired infections may die from bacteremia/fungal/viral infection or hyperinflammatory complications because of an uncontrolled over-activation of the innate immune system with pathological levels of circulating proinflammatory cytokines, or from multiorgan failure. In addition to eliciting a robust inflammatory response, it paradoxically renders the host in an immunocompromised state at the late stage of the disease progression. Severe infectious diseases, including sepsis and septic shock are among the most common reasons for death in hospitals. Sepsis is an infection-induced syndrome characterized by a generalized inflammatory state and represents a frequent complication in surgical patients and in immunocompromised patients. Sepsis is a common, expensive, and frequently associated with a fatal outcome. Every 3 to 4 seconds somebody dies with sepsis, and it is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

Examining the enormous potential of microbiome manipulation to improve health Associations between the composition of the intestinal microbiome and many human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer, have been elegantly described in the past decade. Now, whole-genome sequencing, bioinformatics, and precision gene-editing techniques are being combined with centuries-old therapies, such as fecal microbiota transplantation, to translate current research into new diagnostics and therapeutics to treat complex diseases. Bugs as Drugs provides a much-needed overview of microbes in therapies and will serve as an excellent resource for scientists and clinicians as they carry out research and clinical studies on investigating the roles the microbiota plays in health and disease. In Bugs as Drugs, editors Robert A. Britton and Patrice D. Cani have assembled a fascinating collection of reviews that chart the history, current efforts, and future prospects of using microorganisms to fight disease and improve health. Sections cover traditional uses of probiotics, next-generation microbial therapeutics, controlling infectious diseases, and indirect strategies for manipulating the host microbiome. Topics presented include: How well-established probiotics support and improve host health by improving the composition of the intestinal microbiota of the host and by modulating the host immune response. The use of gene editing and recombinant DNA techniques to create tailored probiotics and to characterize next-generation beneficial microbes. For example, engineering that improves the anti-inflammatory profile of probiotics can reduce the number of colonic polyps formed, and lactobacilli can be transformed into targeted delivery systems carrying therapeutic proteins or bioengineered bacteriophage. The association of specific microbiota composition with colorectal cancer, liver diseases, osteoporosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. The gut microbiota has been proposed to serve as an organ involved in regulation of inflammation, immune function, and energy homeostasis. Fecal microbiota transplantation as a promising treatment for numerous diseases beyond C. difficile infection. Practical considerations for using fecal microbiota transplantation are provided, while it is acknowledged that more high-quality evidence is needed to ascertain the importance of strain specificity in positive treatment outcomes. Because systems biology approaches and synthetic engineering of microbes are now high-throughput and cost-effective, a much wider range of therapeutic possibilities can be explored and vetted.

The Annual Update compiles reviews of the most recent developments in experimental and clinical intensive care and emergency medicine research and practice in one comprehensive book. The chapters are written by well recognized experts in these fields. The book is addressed to everyone involved in internal medicine, anesthesia, surgery, pediatrics, intensive care and emergency medicine.

Vols. for 1963- include as pt. 2 of the Jan. issue: Medical subject headings.