title: The stress response to trauma and critical illness.
abstract: The stress response is a protective system that defends the body from external and internal threats. When the body is confronted with an over-whelming threat, the response becomes uncontrolled, resulting in damage to the body and frequently death. Knowledge of the strengths and pitfalls of this system is important in understanding the responses of the body to trauma and critical illness.
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Stanford
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy