Perioperative Management of Patients with Sepsis and Septic Shock, Part I: Systematic Approach

Sepsis and septic shock are medical emergencies, with high associated mortality. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign has developed definitions and management guidelines, emphasizing the use of hour-1 care bundle. Anesthesiologists frequently encounter sepsis when source control is required. The authors summarize expected manifestations of organ dysfunction and state-of-the-art management of patients with sepsis and septic shock. They highlight an increasingly vital role point-of-care ultrasound examination in the recognition and management of hemodynamic derangements in this patient population. Supporting the role of anesthesiologists as perioperative physicians, the authors provide a framework for transitions of care between operating room and intensive care units.