Abstract
The management of a child with septic shock relies on a comprehensive understanding of the numerous disciplines embodied in the practice of pediatric critical care medicine. The child with septic shock may have simultaneous derangements in the function of virtually every system of the body including cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, renal, coagulation, hepatic, metabolic, and neurologic. The degree to which physiologic alterations are manifest in a given patient is variable and influenced by host and nonhost factors including the developmental stage, the presence of comorbidities, pathogen-related factors, and genetic influences on both the host inflammatory response and the response to pharmacologic agents, all combining to have a profound influence on outcome. The clinician must possess a systematic and multifaceted approach to these critically ill patients. The goal of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive description of the epidemiology, biology, and pathophysiology (at both the cellular and organ level) of sepsis, as well as outline the current principles of managing septic shock at both the individual and institutional level. It will be apparent that optimal management requires a strong working knowledge of cardiovascular physiology, infectious diseases, multiple organ interactions, immunity, coagulation, pharmacology, and the molecular biology of inflammation.
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Carlton, E., Lorts, A., Shanley, T.P., Cornell, T.T. (2021). Sepsis. In: Lucking, S.E., Maffei, F.A., Tamburro, R.F., Zaritsky, A. (eds) Pediatric Critical Care . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53363-2_34
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53363-2_34
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