Abstract
Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Respiratory dysfunction is a common and serious complication of sepsis. Elucidating the intricate mechanisms underlying sepsis-induced respiratory complications is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Purpose: This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances across epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical management, and diagnostic approaches pertaining to sepsis-related respiratory dysfunction.
Main body: Sepsis triggers both direct lung injury from pathogens as well as indirect systemic inflammation mediated by cytokines, immune cells, and vascular changes. These convergent mechanisms can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other hypoxemic complications. Certain populations like the elderly and those with chronic illnesses are at higher risk. Timely antibiotic therapy and hemodynamic stabilization are essential to prevent respiratory deterioration. Supportive ventilation strategies and adjuvant treatments like prone positioning may be employed for severe cases. Ongoing research has focused on modulating inflammatory and molecular targets involved in lung injury as potential preventive approaches. Emerging tools utilizing genomics, biomarkers, and artificial intelligence hold promise for early risk assessment, diagnosis, and personalized treatment strategies.
Conclusion: This review highlights recent advances across the spectrum of sepsis-induced respiratory dysfunction. Integrating molecular mechanisms with clinical translation and leveraging new technologies is key to improving early detection, optimizing management, and ultimately reducing the burden of sepsis-related respiratory morbidity and mortality.
Keywords
Sepsis, Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), Antimicrobial timing, AI, Biomarkers