Sepsis: Introduction and Epidemiology

Sepsis is a major health problem in both the industrialized and nonindustrialized world. In industrialized nations, sepsis is one of the most common illnesses in hospitalized patients and is associated with a substantial mortality (Table 1.1). In the nonindustrialized world, sepsis remains one of the main causes of diminished life expectancy. Sepsis is a condition that is often easy to recognise clinically but much harder to define. In broad terms, it is the inflammatory response to host microbial invasion. This inflammatory response, which has evolved to combat and limit the spread of infection, produces complex imm-unological, coagulation, and circulatory changes that may progress to a state of organ dysfunction and failure known as septic shock. This issue of competency-based critical care will review the many different aspects of sepsis and its management.