Septicemia.

Certain factors which are major determinants in the survival of the septic patient - age, underlying disease, infecting organism - are beyond the physician's control. Others, however, we can have some impact on. These include initial vigorous supportive treatment, early and appropriate antibiotic administration and timely surgical intervention. In the following discussion current understanding of the pathophysiology of sepsis is outlined, together with a practical approach to the problem of patient management.