Macroscopic Postmortem Findings in 235 Surgical Intensive Care Patients with Sepsis

Abstract

Relevant postmortem findings explaining death in surgical ICU patients who died because of sepsis/septic shock were a continuous septic focus in approximately 80% and cardiac pathologies in 50%. The most frequently affected organs were the lungs, abdomen, and urogenital tract. More diagnostic, therapeutic and scientific efforts should be launched to identify and control the infectious focus in patients with sepsis and septic shock.