Power cut: Mitochondrial dysfunction in sepsis

Sepsis represents a whole-body inflammatory response to infection that will often progress to multiple organ failure. In this state, organ function is altered in an acutely ill patient such that homoeostasis cannot be maintained without interventions such as mechanical ventilation to support gas exchange, renal dialysis to act as a surrogate kidney removing nitrogenous waste products and excess fluid, and/or catecholamines to elevate critically low blood pressures in the condition of septic shock. Multiple organ failure is both common and potentially deadly. A quarter of patients admitted to British intensive care units have sepsis1 and it is the predominant cause of mortality in the critically ill. Indeed, patients with the failure of three or more organs have a 50% chance of dying.