[Sepsis: from systemic inflammatory response syndrome to organ dysfunction]

Area of Science:

• Pathology
• Medical Microbiology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Sepsis diagnosis relies on clinical criteria, but morphological confirmation presents challenges.
• Existing clinical classifications of sepsis complicate purely morphological diagnostic approaches.
• Systemic inflammatory response and organ dysfunction are key features but lack definitive morphological markers for sepsis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the difficulties in the morphological diagnosis of sepsis.
• To correlate morphological findings with current clinical sepsis classifications.
• To describe the specific morphological characteristics associated with sepsis complications.

Main Methods:

• Review of extensive author experience in morphological diagnosis.
• Analysis of existing literature data on sepsis pathology.
• Correlation of clinical classifications with pathological findings.

Main Results:

• Morphological diagnosis of sepsis is hindered by the absence of clear, exclusive criteria.
• Systemic inflammatory response and organ dysfunction, while indicative, are not absolute diagnostic signs based on morphology alone.
• Distinct morphological features of systemic inflammatory response, septic shock, and organ dysfunction in sepsis are presented.

Conclusions:

• Morphological diagnosis of sepsis requires careful consideration of clinical context due to overlapping features.
• Clearer morphological criteria are needed to enhance the diagnostic accuracy of sepsis.
• Understanding the morphological underpinnings of sepsis complications is crucial for patient management.