Making Sense of Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome

Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in critical care units. The best defense against patients developing this complex syndrome is prevention and identification of persons at risk for developing MODS. Prevention begins with the critical care nurse's understanding of the etiology of the syndrome and the specific goals that guide interventions aimed toward ameliorating or preventing the critical care patient from developing MODS.