title: MOF, MODS, and SIRS: what is in a name or an acronym?
abstract: The most prominent contributions to multiple organ failure, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome are described in this article. However, it is quite possible that there are others that have been missed. The problem of organ failure continues to perplex clinicians and scientists, and it contributes to fatal outcomes for patients with illnesses, infections, and injuries after operations. Although we know a fair bit about these problems, we frequently can do little about it. The best approach remains support to prevent failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Arthur E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Baue
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D009626:Terminology as Topic