The evolution of the understanding of sepsis, infection, and the host response: a brief history.

An appreciation for the problem of sepsis starts at the very beginning of recorded time. Early writings from the Middle East, China, and Greece indicate that waves of epidemics and sudden death in previously healthy people were noted as having special significance long before the germ theory of disease was first postulated. This article focuses on the evolution of understanding about the fundamental nature of infection and the host response that leads to sepsis.