Ischemia and Reperfusion as a Cause of Multiple Organ Failure

Abstract

Multiple organ failure continues to be the most common cause of late death after injury. It is also one of the most common causes of mortality in the intensive care unit after major catastrophic medical illnesses and surgical complications. The pathogenesis of the syndrome remains incompletely understood, but it is most likely related to some combination of a dysregulated inflammatory response, maldistribution of microcirculatory blood flow, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and deregulation of immune function.