Multiple Organ Failure as a Systemic Disease of Host-Defense Failure

Abstract

First I would like to express my personal thanks to both Drs. Günther Schlag and Heinz Redl. They have worked to make this conference a superb scientific session. Its organization and .the ability to publish it are also largely related to their efforts in negotiating with both Immuno and Springer publications. What has come out of this effort is a significant forum which focuses research in the field of shock. Moreover, both the papers and their discussions are important contributions to the literature on this subject, because the discussion gives each participant the chance to interact with a group of excellent minds, each of whom has great experience in his or her respective scientific area. It is in this spirit that I am going to try and present a conceptual organization of what has gone on, not because I think it is necessarily the best, or even a good organization, because by making the attempt, you can have a straw man to challenge and by doing so alter and focus the discussion to achieve some logical conclusions, as to what we agree on and what we do not agree on, and where new directions for research should come.