Sepsis

The book discusses multiple aspects of sepsis syndrome seen in all age groups of patients and by all specialties in medicine. The syndrome is the aftermath of the dissemination of an infectious process into and through the blood stream. This allows the bacteria, bacterial products and cytokines to reach multiple organs, resulting in their dysfunction. In spite of the advances in supportive care and antibiotic therapy, the outcome of sepsis has not changed significantly. The inadequacies in the current diagnostic modalities and conflicting inconclusive results of investigations on novel treatments have contributed significantly to the lack of progress in the management of sepsis. Antibiotic overuse in and outside the intensive care unit driven by the lack of microbiological data and definitive diagnosis lends to the creation and transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria, which has added to the challenges and poor outcomes of sepsis syndrome. The nine chapters in this book are authored by experts in various aspects of sepsis from North America, South America, Europe and Asia. State of the art information is provided in the areas of pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis and management of sepsis. Each chapter has a contribution on the role of various evidence-based preventive strategies to reduce the incidence and subsequent poor outcomes of sepsis syndrome.