Diagnosis and Management of Sepsis in Intensive Care

Sepsis is a life-threatening syndrome characterised by organ dysfunction resulting from a dysregulated host response to infection. In the intensive care setting, prompt recognition and standardised management are vital to reduce morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis is guided by consensus criteria that combine clinical signs of infection, evidence of organ injury and rapid bedside scoring systems. Laboratory markers, including lactate levels and emerging molecular assays, complement culture-based microbiology and imaging to localise the source. Management follows a bundle-based approach: early empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics, fluid resuscitation guided by dynamic haemodynamic monitoring, timely source control through surgery or drainage, and vasopressor support to maintain adequate perfusion pressure. Organ support measures such as mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy and glycaemic control address evolving dysfunction. Immunomodulatory strategies—ranging from low-dose corticosteroids to modulators of the inflammatory cascade—are under evaluation. Continuous monitoring with invasive lines and point-of-care ultrasound informs titration of therapies. Despite advances in standardised protocols and supportive technology, sepsis remains a major global health challenge with variable outcomes across regions. Research priorities include refinement of diagnostic biomarkers, personalised haemodynamic targets and novel therapies to restore immune homeostasis.

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Diagnosis and Management of Sepsis in Intensive Care publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in diagnosis and management of sepsis in intensive care across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Sepsis: A severe systemic response to infection causing organ dysfunction.

Organ dysfunction: Impairment of vital systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, neurological) assessed by clinical and laboratory criteria.

Source control: Procedural intervention (surgical, radiological) to eradicate the nidus of infection.

Biomarker: A measurable indicator (e.g., lactate, procalcitonin) used to support diagnosis, prognosis or treatment response.

Vasopressor: An agent (such as noradrenaline) that raises blood pressure by constricting blood vessels to maintain organ perfusion.

References

1. Large Language Model–Driven Knowledge Graph Construction in Sepsis Care Using Multicenter Clinical Databases: Development and Usability Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2025).
2. Identification and validation of a novel mitochondrion-related gene signature for diagnosis and immune infiltration in sepsis. Frontiers in Immunology (2023).
3. Assessing the clinical utility of abdominal computed tomography in sepsis patients with unknown origin: A retrospective cohort study. Medicine (2024).