[Severe infections : causes and management of sepsis]

The sepsis syndrome has only recently been defined as a clinical syndrome but despite its unspecific definition it has evolved rapidly into an important concept. Although specific therapeutic interventions targeting the inflammatory pathway have not yet been effective in treating sepsis, a better understanding of mechanisms leading to organ dysfunction has led to better management of patients with sepsis. Clinical signs of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or sepsis are hallmarks for the definition of severe infections. Current guidelines are presented for the management of a number of severe infectious syndromes.