Severe sepsis and septic shock are common, complicated & deadly
conditions within the same pathophysiologic spectrum. As defined
by the American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care
Medicine Consensus Conference in 1992, this spectrum begins with
the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome or SIRS. SIRS is
defined as the presence of two of four abnormal findings: temperature
>38°C or 12,000/cu mm or 10% immature “band” forms, heart rate >90 beats per
minute, respiratory rate >20 breaths per minute or partial pressure of
arterial carbon dioxide