Septic-associated encephalopathy--everything starts at a microlevel.
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Its pathophysiology remains insufficiently elucidated, although there is evidence for a neuroinflammatory process sequentially involving endothelial activation, blood-brain barrier alteration and cellular dysfunction and alteration in neurotransmission. Experimental studies have shown that microcirculatory dysfunction, a consequence of endothelial activation, is an early pathogenic step. To date, we do not know whether it is present in septic patients, whether it accounts for clinical features and whether it is treatable.
Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Raymond Poincaré teaching Hospital and University of Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, 104 Boulevard Raymond Poincaré, 92380 Garches, France. tarek.sharshar@rpc.aphp.fr
Tarek
T
Sharshar
Andrea
A
Polito
Anthony
A
Checinski
Robert D
RD
Stevens
D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*