[Clinico-morphologic forms of sepsis (analysis of autopsy material over the past 20 years)]

An analysis of 385 fatal cases of sepsis in therapeutic institutions for the past 20 years was carried out. The septico-pyemic variant was found to be predominant. Bacteriological studies revealed that the predominant causative agent was pathogenic staphylococcus (54.9%), less frequently streptococcus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Changes in the spectrum of the causative agents in the last two decades appear to reflect changes in the ecological conditions, immunologic responsiveness of the population, directed natural and therapeutic pathomorphosis. The analysis of the frequency and nature of divergencies in the clinical and pathoanatomic diagnoses indicate certain differences in sepsis diagnosis nowadays.