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Chapter 17 - Management of Sepsis

from Section 3 - Infection: General Principles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 June 2025

By
Sharon Nyesiga ,
Bayodé Roméo Adegbite ,
Priscilla Haguma ,
Emmanuel Nsutebu ,
Jamie Rylance  and
Shevin T. Jacob
Edited by
David Mabey ,
Martin W. Weber ,
Moffat Nyirenda ,
Dorothy Yeboah-Manu ,
Jackson Orem ,
Laura Benjamin ,
Michael Marks  and
Nicholas A. Feasey
David Mabey
Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Martin W. Weber
Affiliation:
World Health Organization
Moffat Nyirenda
Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dorothy Yeboah-Manu
Affiliation:
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana
Jackson Orem
Affiliation:
Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala
Laura Benjamin
Affiliation:
University College London
Michael Marks
Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Nicholas A. Feasey
Affiliation:
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
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Summary

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection (Singer et al. 2016). It manifests as a spectrum of disease characterized by a progression from sepsis to septic shock. Though it has been historically characterized as a severe condition resulting from Gram-negative bacteraemia, sepsis may be the final common pathway to death of many life-threatening infections. Causative pathogens include a wide range of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, and epidemic-prone diseases such as meningococcal meningitis, Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) or COVID-19 can sometimes be detected as outbreaks of sepsis.

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Principles of Medicine in Africa , pp. 202 - 208
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

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