3.2 The Role of Surgery in the Management of Septic Shock-Intra-Abdominal Causes of Sepsis

- SEPSIS FREQUENTLY IS CAUSED by intraabdominal pathology. Source control (ie, removing or neutralizing the septic focus) is of paramount importance in managing patients with septic shock.
- MODERN IMAGING TECHNIQUES provide reliable clinical information to evaluate critically ill patients who potentially have an intra-abdominal source of sepsis.
- AGGRESSIVELY WORKING to eliminate the septic source is necessary to achieve optimal patient outcomes. This article details the most common intra-abdominal sources of sepsis, diagnostic methods, and therapeutic options. AORN J 85 (February 2007) 280-294.