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Updated: May 22, 2026
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Design of Cecal Ligation and Puncture and Intranasal Infection Dual Model of Sepsis-Induced Immunosuppression
Published on: June 15, 2019
Gut-origin sepsis: evolution of a concept.
1New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA. edeitch@umdnj.edu
Summary
Bacterial translocation causes infections in surgical patients. However, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in ICU patients stems from gut injury and systemic spread of non-microbial factors, not just bacterial translocation.
Area of Science:
- Critical Care Medicine
- Surgical Pathophysiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Bacterial translocation and gut-origin sepsis are debated causes of systemic infectious complications and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).
- Understanding the clinical relevance of gut-derived complications is crucial for surgical and ICU patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolution of gut-origin sepsis and gut-induced MODS.
- To provide clinical perspective on these phenomena.
- To explore mechanisms and therapeutic options for gut-derived complications.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research on bacterial translocation and MODS.
- Analysis of clinical observations and proposed hypotheses.
Main Results:
- Bacterial translocation is clinically relevant, increasing infectious complications in major abdominal surgery patients.
- Bacterial translocation alone does not fully explain MODS development in ICU patients.
Conclusions:
- MODS in ICU patients likely results from gut injury and systemic spread of non-microbial factors via lymphatics.
- The gut-lymph hypothesis offers a new perspective on MODS pathogenesis.
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