Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Cecal Ligation Puncture Procedure
Published on: May 7, 2011
Cytopathic hypoxia in sepsis: a true problem?
1University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, Room 616 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. finkmp@anes.upmc.edu
Abstract:
It is increasingly apparent that organ dysfunction in sepsis is caused, at least in part, by an acquired intrinsic derangement in cellular oxidative adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. We have termed this phenomenon "cytopathic hypoxia". Although several different but mutually compatible mechanisms might account for the development of cytopathic hypoxia in sepsis, recent data from our laboratory point to activation of the nuclear enzyme, poly-ADP-ribosyl polymerase (PARP), as being the most important.
Related Concept Videos
Respiratory Assessment: Purpose and Indications
Objectives and Importance:
The primary goal of respiratory assessment is to evaluate patients at early risk of clinical deterioration. Since respiratory distress often precedes other signs of declining health, breathing patterns and sounds become a...
Hypoxia
Types of Hypoxia
There are four primary types of hypoxia, each resulting from a different cause:
1. Anemic hypoxia: This type occurs due to insufficient oxygen delivery caused by a lack of red blood cells (RBCs) or RBCs with abnormal or...
Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology
Acute Respiratory Failure-I
Definition: It is defined by specific criteria based on blood gas measurements. Hypoxemia happens when the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) falls below 60 mmHg. At the same time,...
Acute Respiratory Failure-II
The underlying physiological abnormalities that contribute to hypoxemic respiratory failure include:
Atelectasis II: Pathophysiology

