Severe sepsis is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States. The mortality rate for sepsis remains high, estimated at between 28% and 50%. One out of 10 patients admitted to the ICU experience severe sepsis. The more symptomatic the patient, as evidenced by use of low to high dose pressors, the higher the mortality rate.
While we think of the infected patient as having a high white count and a fever, the patient with sepsis shows much more complicated signs and symptoms, which may include fever and elevated WBCs, as well as a low temperature.
The introduction of Xigris in 2001 began to change the landscape of sepsis management.