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Sepsis and Clinical Trials: a New Era in Anti-Sepsis Therapies

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Sepsis and Organ Dysfunction

Abstract

Over the last decade, we have made great progress in our knowledge and understanding of the pathophysiolgy of sepsis, the mediators involved, and the underlying mechanisms, and yet, until very recently, little advance had been made in the field of sepsis therapeutics. Achievements in basic science and cellular research have not been matched by clinical success, and mortality rates from this disease process have remained virtually unaltered over the past 50 years [1]. Indeed, despite the development of many dozens of new so-called immunomodulatory agents, poor results from clinical trials mean that the treatment of sepsis remains antibiotic therapy, source removal, and organ support. In this chapter we will briefly discuss the reasons behind these ‘failed’ clinical trials before focussing on the recent and exciting results of activated protein C (APC), a drug aimed at the coagulation system, which has been shown to improve mortality rates in patients with severe sepsis.

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Authors
  1. J.-L. Vincent
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, S. Louis University, School of Medicine, Fishers Island, New York, USA

    A. E. Baue M.D. (Emeritus Professor) (Emeritus Professor)

  2. Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Clinic, Trieste University Medical School, Trieste, Italy

    G. Berlot M.D.  & A. Gullo M.D.  & 

  3. Department of Intensive Care, Erasme University Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium

    J.-L. Vincent M.D.

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© 2002 Springer-Verlag Italia, Milano

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Vincent, JL. (2002). Sepsis and Clinical Trials: a New Era in Anti-Sepsis Therapies. In: Baue, A.E., Berlot, G., Gullo, A., Vincent, JL. (eds) Sepsis and Organ Dysfunction. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2213-3_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2213-3_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-0178-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-2213-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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