Monitoring organ response during resuscitation in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Septic shock, sepsis, and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome continue to account for substantial morbidity and mortality in the critical care unit. Newly developed monitoring techniques, as well as new approaches to conventional monitoring, may be used to detect early pathologic alterations of organ function and to monitor responses to therapeutic interventions. This review focuses on techniques of monitoring both systemic and organ-specific responses to resuscitation in patients with the systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, and septic shock.