Infecties

Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock

Sepsis is one of the oldest and most elusive syndromes in medicine. Hippocrates claimed that sepsis (σ ´ηψις) was the…

Sepsis-induced immunosuppression: from cellular dysfunctions to immunotherapy

Sepsis — severe life-threatening infection with organ dysfunction — initiates a complex interplay of host pro- and anti-inflammatory processes. In…

The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3)

Importance Definitions of sepsis and septic shock were last revised in 2001. Considerable advances have since been made into the…

Invasive Candidiasis

Despite advances in antifungal therapy, the mortality associated with invasive candidiasis remains as high as 40%. This review summarizes recent…

Approach to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in critically ill patients

Purpose of review: Apparently immunocompetent critically ill patients represent an increasing population at risk for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). The…

Ventilator-associated pneumonia in the ICU

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is defi ned as pneumonia that occurs 48–72 hours or thereafter following endotracheal intubation, characterized by the presence…

Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Community-acquired pneumonia is a commonly diagnosed illness in which no causative organism is identified in half the cases. Application of…

Influenza virus-related critical illness: pathophysiology and epidemiology

Influenza virus affects the respiratory tract by direct viral infection or by damage from the immune system response. In humans,…

Abdominal sepsis

Purpose of reviewTo summarize the recent evidence on the treatment of abdominal sepsis with a specific emphasis on the surgical…

Necrotizing Soft-Tissue Infections

The hallmarks of necrotizing fasciitis are friable superficial fascia, gray exudate without pus, and widespread tissue destruction. The infection is…