title: Management of sepsis in the critically ill patient: key aspects.
abstract: Severe sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the critically ill patient. Management involves identification and treatment of the underlying causative infection, with antimicrobial agents and surgery where necessary, haemodynamic resuscitation with fluids and vasoactive agents, steroids (for septic shock) and immunomodulation with drotrecogin-alpha (activated), where not contraindicated. Every effort must be made to identify sepsis early so as to optimise the patient's chances of a good outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Erasme University Hospital, Route de Lennik 808, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium. jlvincen@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vincent
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D018529:Nutritional Support; D011486:Protein C / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D011486:Protein C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C421124:drotrecogin alfa activated