Background and Question
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition due to the body’s extreme reaction to an infection.
It is a cascade of immunological reactions triggered by an initial infection. The primary
organs where sepsis attacks originate are the lungs, urinary tract, and gastrointestinal
tract. If sepsis is not treated within an advisable duration it can lead to tissue damage,
organ failure, and even death [1]. The number of sepsis occurrences is steadily
increasing (close to 200,000 yearly in the US). Sepsis occurs when biological/
immunological chemicals released in the bloodstream to fight an infection trigger
inflammation in neighboring tissues and organs. These cascades of changes lead to
organ dysfunction and frequently even death. In such conditions, the immune system no
longer fights against the pathogen, instead begins to turn against itself. This makes
medication extremely difficult and tricky. Septic shock is the most severe degree of
sepsis and is diagnosed when a patient’s blood pressure drops to dangerously low
levels. Sepsis also has immense economical implications in the US as well- it is the
number 1 cost of hospitalization in the US owing to the high nursing and medical cost,
and sepsis costs approximately $62 billion annually (only a small proportion) [2].
Sepsis-triggered inflammation is one of the leading causes of death among patients
admitted to an ICU rather than the primary infection.
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS/ ARS) is a devastating complication of
severe sepsis. Both Sepsis and ARDS fundamentally have the same underlying
characteristics- inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Patients diagnosed with
sepsis-induced ARDS have higher fatality and lower survival rates. [3]