In medicine, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is an inflammatory state of the whole body (the "system") without a proven source of infection. It is a serious medical condition. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... For the chemical substances known as medicines, see medication. ... An abscess on the skin, showing the redness and swelling characteristic of inflammation. ... An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ...

Definition of SIRS

Criteria for SIRS were agreed in 1992.^[1] SIRS can be diagnosed when two or more of the following are present^[2][3][4][5]:

• Heart rate > 90 beats per minute
• Body temperature < 36 or > 38°C
• Tachypnea (high respiratory rate) > 20 breaths per minute or, on blood gas, a P_aCO₂ < 4.3 kPa (32 mm Hg)
• White blood cell count < 4000 cells/mm³ or > 12000 cells/mm³ (< 4 x 10⁹ or > 12 x 10⁹ cells/L), or the presence of greater than 10% immature neutrophils.

Heart rate is a term used to describe the frequency of the cardiac cycle. ... Tachypnea is a medical term for breathing which is more rapid than normal. ... Arterial blood gas measurement is a test that can be done to determine the amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide and bicarbonate in the blood, as well as the pH of the blood. ... “White Blood Cells” redirects here. ...

Difference between SIRS and sepsis

SIRS with a suspected or proven infection is called sepsis. Sepsis (in Greek Σήψις, putrefaction) is a serious medical condition, resulting from the immune response to a severe infection. ...

Simply stated:

SIRS + infection = sepsis ^[2][3]

Complications of SIRS

SIRS can result in the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.
Hypotension related to vessel dilation
Hypovolemic Shock Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome MODS; previously known as multiple organ failure (MOF) is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring medical intervention to maintain homeostasis. ...

Causes of SIRS

• Severe trauma
• Surgery, complication of
• Burns
• Acute pancreatitis
• Immunodeficiency (such as AIDS^[6])

In medicine, a trauma patient has suffered serious and life-threatening physical injury resulting in secondary complications such as shock, respiratory failure and death. ... For other uses, see Burn. ... In medicine, immune deficiency (or immunodeficiency) is a state where the immune system is incapable of defending the organism from infectious disease. ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ...

Relation to cytokine storm

SIRS can be considered to be a subset of cytokine storm, a general term (not commonly used in clinical medicine) for cytokine dysregulation. A cytokine storm is a potentially fatal immune reaction consisting of a positive feedback loop between cytokines and immune cells. ...

See also

• Sepsis
• Shock
• Septic shock

Sepsis (in Greek Σήψις, putrefaction) is a serious medical condition, resulting from the immune response to a severe infection. ... This article is about the medical condition. ... Septic shock is a serious medical condition causing such effects as multiple organ failure and death in response to infection and sepsis. ...

References

1. ^ (1992) "American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine Consensus Conference: definitions for sepsis and organ failure and guidelines for the use of innovative therapies in sepsis". Crit. Care Med. 20 (6): 864-74. PMID 1597042. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Irwin RS, Cerra FB, Rippe JM. Irwin and Rippe's Intensive Care Medicine. 5th Ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Hagerstown, MD. 2003. ISBN 0-7817-1425-7. Publisher's information on the book.
3. ^ ^{a b} Marino PL. The ICU Book. 2nd Ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Hagerstown, MD. 1998. ISBN 0-683-05565-8. Publisher's information on the book.
4. ^ Sharma S, Steven M. Septic Shock. eMedicine.com, URL: http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic2101.htm Accessed on Nov 20, 2005.
5. ^ Tslotou AG, Sakorafas GH, Anagnostopoulos G, Bramis J. Septic shock; current pathogenetic concepts from a clinical perspective. Med Sci Monit. 2005 Mar;11(3):RA76-85. PMID 15735579. Full Text.
6. ^ Santhanam S, Tolan RW. Sepsis. eMedicine.com, URL: http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic3033.htm Accessed on Mar 12, 2006.

Textbooks

• Intensive Care Medicine by Irwin and Rippe
• The ICU Book by Marino
• Cecil Textbook of Medicine
• The Oxford Textbook of Medicine
• Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine

External link

• Bacteremia and Septic Shock (Merck Manual) - explains the usage of the terms bacteremia, septic shock, sepsis and septicemia.