Overview
- Editors:
-
-
Heinz Redl
-
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Vienna, Austria
-
Günther Schlag
-
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Vienna, Austria
Access this book
Other ways to access
Table of contents (20 chapters)
-
-
Induction
-
-
Inducers
-
- F. Ulrich Schade, Regina Flach, Thomas Hirsch, Ralph R. Schumann
Pages 3-13
-
- Brigitte Neumann, Bernhard Holzmann
Pages 15-36
-
- David J. Hackam, Sergio Grinstein, Ori D. Rotstein
Pages 37-56
-
Predisposing factors
-
- René Zellweger, Alfred Ayala, Irshad H. Chaudry
Pages 57-77
-
-
Diagnostic
-
-
-
- Maarten G. Bouma, Wim A. Buurman
Pages 121-132
-
- Wolfgang Strohmaier, Franz Tatzber
Pages 133-147
-
Actions (selected events)
-
Front Matter
Pages 149-149
-
- Christoph Thiemermann, Timothy D. Warner
Pages 151-171
-
- C. Wayne Smith, Scott I. Simon, Hartmut Jaeschke
Pages 173-197
-
-
-
- Erich Roth, Michael Bergmann
Pages 227-243
-
Therapy
-
Front Matter
Pages 245-245
-
-
- Peter Zabel, Soheyl Bahrami
Pages 261-284
About this book
t Heinz Red! and Gunther Sch!ag Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Vienna, Austria The word "sepsis" derives from the Greek meaning decay or rottenness. Tradition ally this term has been used to describe the process of infection accompanied by the host's systemic inflammatory response. Based on that understanding, previous clin ical studies have been designed to include only patients with positive blood cultures [1, 2]. However, the frequent occurrence of a septic response without the demon stration of microorganisms in the circulation has led to a new definition and under standing of sepsis, mainly as the systemic response of the host to an often unde tectable microbiological or non-microbiological process [3]. The general consensus is that cytokines are central to the inflammatory response, particularly in sepsis. It is now known that not only Gram-negative but also Gram positive, viral, and fungal infections initiate the complex cascades of cytokine release. Probably the most important aspect of bacterial action is the release of toxic bacterial products. In particular endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria (see chap ter by Schade) and super antigens (see chapter by Neumann and Holzmann), as well as pore-forming toxins [4] from Gram-positive bacteria, induce cytokine formation. The importance of this cytokine release is evident from both diagnostic and thera peutic (mostly experimental) studies, and the action of cytokines may be the key to our understanding of the pathophysiology of the sepsis syndrome.
