Diaphragmatic fatigue during sepsis and septic shock

Abstract

In the United States sepsis annually affects 700,000 people and accounts for about 210,000 deaths. Respiratory failure has long been known to be a frequent occurrence of this pathological condition and to represent a major contributor to the high associated mortality [1]. This contribution discusses of the effects of sepsis and septic shock on respiratory muscle function and focuses on some of the possible mechanisms involved in the genesis of these effects. © 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.