Mr. Jones clinical assessment revealed that his Glasgow Coma Score was 11/15. He was opening his eyes to speech, only making inappropriate words and localizes to pain. He was also pyrexial with a temperature of 39.0 ˚C, diaphoretic with hot peripheries, hypotensive BP 90/45 mmHg (MAP 60 mmHg), and tachyopneic at 30breaths/min and tachycardic at 120beats/min.
This paper will not only define SIRS/sepsis but will also discuss the clinical manifestations in relation to the pathophysiology of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)/sepsis in relation to Mr. Jones.
Mr. Jones appeared to be in distressed. He is now using his accessory muscles to breathe, crackles are heard on auscultation and there is decreased air entry in the left and right bases. Chest X ray revealed consolidation on the left lower lobe and atelectasis in the right lower lobe.
After a series of investigation in the emergency department, Mr. Jones was commenced on Normal Saline at 125 mls/hr and he was given oxygen via non rebreather mask at 10L/min. He was then transferred to the intensive care unit for respiratory and circulatory support and a provisional diagnosis of sepsis due to a respiratory source.
Sepsis is a condition characterized by a systemic inflammation response syndrome (SIRS) and the presence of infection (Steen 2009:48). This is the cascade of inflammatory events that are part of the body’s response to an insult in an attempt to maintain homeostasis (Lever and Mackenzie, 2007:879). Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a systemic reaction to infection as