Sepsis-associated encephalopathy: A review of literature

Sepsis is a leading cause of death in medical and surgical intensive care units (ICUs). Disturbance of consciousness of varying severity is an early warning sign of developing sepsis in the majority of cases. Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is the most frequent type of encephalopathy in the ICU and is defined as a state of diffuse cerebral dysfunction caused by the inflammatory response of the body to various infections, where the inflammatory process does not affect the central nervous system (CNS) directly and the primary symptom is a disturbed level of consciousness. The aim of this comprehensive review was to collect the latest scientific knowledge regarding the epidemiology, clinical aspects, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and possible prevention strategies related to SAE.