Sepsis is a serious medical condition, resulting from the immune response to a severe infection. Septicaemia is sepsis of the bloodstream caused by bactemeria, which is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. The term septecaemia is also used to refer to sepsis in general. In the US, sepsis is the leading cause of death in non-coronary ICU patients, and the tenth most common form of death overall. Sepsis is common and also more dangerous in the elderly, immunocompromised, and critically ill patients. It occurs in 1-2% of all hospitilizations and accounts for as much as 25% of all ICU bed utilization. It is a major cause of death in intensive care units worldwide, with mortality rates that range from 20% for sepsis to 40% for severe sepsis to more than 60% for septic shock. The book brings together a group of experts to consider how the various pathways implicated in early and late sepsis interact. It addresses the frequent, but under-recognised condition of sepsis and discusses new ways to prevent and treat it. It describes numerous pharmocological approaches to therapy for early and late sepsis. It includes detailed discussion of the various physiological systems implicated in sepsis. This is an invaluable resource for all critical care physicians and researchers. It is also informative reading for immunologists, endocrinologists, neuroendocrinologists, phsysiologists and pharmacologists Drawing on multi-professional editors and authors brings in the variety of perspectives and knowledge seen within the critical care team to produce a text that is both inclusive of and targeted to the individual needs of its intended audience. The nature of the material, written and edited by experienced practitioners in the field will provide an invaluable source of reference and training material for specialists and those already trained in their field.

Table of Contents:
Sepsis: Introduction and Epidemiology.- Mechanisms of Innate Immunity in Sepsis.- Metabolic and Endocrine Changes in Sepsis and the Catabolic State.- Hematological and Coagulation Changes in Sepsis.- The Genetics of Sepsis and Inflammation.- Cardiac, Circulatory, and Microvascular Changes in Sepsis and Multiorgan Dysfunction Syndrome.- Specific Bacterial Infections in the Immunocompetent Patient.- Infection in the Immunocompromised Patient.- Severe Infections in the Returning Traveler.- Antibiotic Prescribing Including Antibiotic Resistance.- Infection Control in the Intensive Care Unit.- Randomized Controlled Trials in Sepsis.- Guidelines, Protocols, and the Surviving Sepsis Guidelines: A Critical Appraisal.- Practical Approaches to the Patient with Severe Sepsis: Illustrative Case Histories.