[Septic shock with multiple organ failure in the trauma surgery intensive care unit]

Septicaemia was recorded from 17 in 160 cases of multiple trauma. The classical signs of clinical sepsis were found to be no early markers. However, alveolar, cellular, and humoral alterations were recordable from broncho-alveolar lavage fluid four days prior to clinical manifestation of septicaemia. Early and late phases of septicaemia, too, could be differentiated from each other by alveolar alterations.