The Use and Interpretation of Multivariate Methods in the Classification of Stages in Serious Infectious Disease Processes in the Critically III

The use and interpretation of multivariate methods in the classification of stages in serious infectious disease processes in the critically ill is discussed, which is frequently associated with a profound fall in blood pressure.

Abstract

This chapter discusses the use and interpretation of multivariate methods in the classification of stages in serious infectious disease processes in the critically ill. As a result of a major infection in man, there is a significant alteration in the fragile homeostatic equilibrium that sustains life. When this delicate balance is altered to the point where the metabolic requirements for energy generation in the tissues of the body exceed the available supply of substrates and oxygen, a shock state develops, which is frequently associated with a profound fall in blood pressure. The specific shock state that occurs as a result of a septic insult has been shown to manifest a different pattern of cardiovascular compensation than that found in the hypotensive states associated with massive hemorrhage or other forms of nonseptic shock. Patients with the diagnosis of severe sepsis also form a heterogeneous group characterized by wide variations in individual primary physiologic variables and different responses to therapeutic programs.