![]() ![]() Furthermore, in about a third of patients an infectious pathogen is not detectable ( Bone et al., 1989 Liang, 2016). However, the causative agent is not always bacteria as parasites and fungus can also cause sepsis ( Hubner et al., 2013 Florescu and Kalil, 2014 Liang, 2016). In fact, almost the same number of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria are today associated with the disease ( Vincent and Abraham, 2006). Within the following decade it became evident that although gram-negative bacteria are still prevalent in septic patients, gram-positive microbiota became more apparent within patient sera ( Friedman et al., 1998). This lead some scientists to establish diagnostic criteria for the sepsis syndrome – claiming specific medical symptoms and known cause of infection are central for diagnosis ( Bone et al., 1989). Before the 90s, the majority of septic patients who presented at the clinic showed gram-negative organisms in their blood ( Polat et al., 2017). Now we know that sepsis is a highly heterogenous disease both in terms of its cause and its progression. that colonizes and causes infection of the upper respiratory tracts was the most commonly associated infection in sepsis ( Rangel-Frausto, 1999 Mayr et al., 2014). However, subsequent studies showed that Pseudomonas sp. In the past, it was believed that the primary source of infection originated solely from the gut microbiota ( Friedman et al., 1998). In the United States alone, costs associated with this disease can exceed $16 billion dollars, as most patients admitted to ICU require mechanical ventilation to stay alive ( Angus et al., 2001).ĭespite the heavy cost of sepsis, the etiology of the disease continues to be enigmatic. In addition, every year one million deaths of newborns are due to maternal/neonatal sepsis ( Vogel, 2017). The disease predominantly affects low- to middle-income countries and is responsible for an estimated six million deaths ( Fleischmann et al., 2016). Although difficult to discern the absolute global burden of the disease, it is estimated that thirty million people are affected each year ( Reinhart et al., 2013). Infection leading to sepsis continues to be one of the biggest health problems world-wide. In this review we put forth an argument for a proper understanding of the molecular basis of inflammation as well as apoptosis for developing an effective therapy.Įarly medical records have documented infectious diseases in humans as far back as 1000 BC, and yet, pathogenic infection remains as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality ( Ruffer and Ferguson, 1911 Cossart, 2014). Recently, the focus has been shifting to understand immune paralysis (caused by apoptosis and by anti-inflammatory cytokines) to develop therapeutic drugs. ![]() ![]() This was despite most deaths occurring during the immune paralysis stage of this biphasic disease. The initial attempts on drug development mainly focused on controlling inflammation, however, without any tangible outcome. The patient outcome is determined by a complex interplay between the pro and anti-inflammatory responses of the body i.e., a homeostatic balance between these two competing events to be achieved for the patient’s recovery. Sepsis is one of the leading causes of deaths world-wide and yet there are no therapies available other than ICU treatment. Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. ![]() Click here to share the signs of sepsis on Twitter or download our Social Media graphic to share.Christina Nedeva Joseph Menassa Hamsa Puthalakath * By helping us to reach more people with the signs of sepsis, we can work towards ending preventable deaths from this condition. It is not known why some people develop sepsis in response to these common infections whereas others don’t.ĥ people die with sepsis every hour in the UK. Sepsis always starts with an infection, and can be triggered by any infection including chest infections and UTIs. Sepsis is indiscriminate: while it primarily affects very young children and older adults, and is also more common in people with underlying health conditions, it can sometimes be triggered in those who are otherwise fit and healthy. It can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and sometimes death, especially if not recognised early and treated promptly. It occurs when the body’s immune system – which normally helps to protect us and fight infection – goes into overdrive. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. ![]()
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