4.5 Review

Sepsis and the brain: a review for acute and general physicians br

Journal

CLINICAL MEDICINE
Volume 22, Issue 5, Pages 392-395

Publisher

ROY COLL PHYS LONDON EDITORIAL OFFICE
DOI: 10.7861/clinmed.2022-0346

Keywords

sepsis; encephalopathy; delirium; brain

Funding

  1. Medical Research Council
  2. [MR/T023791/1]

Ask authors/readers for more resources

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is acute cognitive dysfunction caused by systemic or peripheral infection, which can occur before the clinical signs of sepsis. Early identification, treatment, and good supportive care may improve cognitive outcomes.
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) describes acute cognitive dysfunction secondary to systemic or peripheral infection occurring outside of the central nervous system (CNS). Symptoms can range from mild confusion to coma and may precede the clinical signs of sepsis. Recognition that SAE is a potential differential diagnosis in patients presenting with delirium is important, as SAE is a diagnosis of exclusion. Physicians should also be aware that severe SAE is associated with a high mortality. Although mortality is often secondary to multiorgan failure rather than neurological sequelae, long-term cognitive and psychological morbidities have been reported in sepsis survivors. Early treatment (which can include prompt identification and source control of the infection) and good supportive care might improve cognitive outcomes. Future work should aim to improve understanding of both acute and chronic SAE with a focus on therapeutic interventions and improving patient outcomes.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.5
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available