What are the Goals of Severe Sepsis Therapy?

The key goals in treating severe sepsis are to keep the patient alive and getting better. To help meet these goals, the healthcare team has several objectives when treating severe sepsis patients:

• To fight the infection or other event that triggered severe sepsis. After getting rid of the source of the infection, some people may be able to recover from severe sepsis without having additional organ failures
• To support failing organs to help them continue working. While organ support doesn’t directly treat severe sepsis, it is important for survival
• To stop the body’s “over-reaction” to the infection
• To make sure the patient is comfortable and not in pain

How can the doctor tell if a patient has severe sepsis?
What are the goals of severe sepsis therapy?
How is severe sepsis treated?
Talking with the treatment team
Resources