There are major differences in the immune response between people: one person has few symptoms of an infection, while another patient becomes seriously ill and requires treatment in an intensive care unit. A large proportion of patients also continue to have long-term complaints after discharge from hospital, which leads to an overall reduced function. In order to limit organ damage and increase the chance of survival, it is important to recognize sepsis in time and to combat it with antibiotics, infusion fluids and, if necessary, supportive treatment in the intensive care unit.
Due to the large differences in the immune response to an infection between individuals, the recognition of sepsis in the early phase can be difficult. Also, no treatment is available that targets the specific mechanisms that lead to organ failure. In this lecture, the speakers will explain what sepsis is and how researchers at the UMCG closely study the differences between patients in order to improve recognition of early sepsis. With timely recognition of early sepsis, they hope to develop new targeted treatments to prevent organ failure.