title: Management of the critically ill patient with severe sepsis.
abstract: Sepsis is a common cause of morbidity and mortality among the critically ill patient population. However, no anti-sepsis therapy has yet been found to be effective and treatment is thus largely supportive. Adequate fluid resuscitation must be accompanied by effective ventilation, and adrenergic agents may be needed to restore perfusion pressure and improve myocardial function. Enteral nutritional support with specialized nutrients has beneficial effects on morbidity, and should be started early. Further research will allow better definition of the septic patient according to immune status and enable more effective targeting of future anti-sepsis treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Belgium. jlvincen@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Preiser
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016638:Critical Illness; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents