Sepsis: Updated definitions and optimized management.

Sepsis is newly defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Organ dysfunction will be determined by an increase in the Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. The updated definition should facilitate earlier recognition and more timely management of patients with sepsis.

[Multidrug-resistant bacteria require new treatment options].

By now multidrug-resistant bacteria are a common cause of infections, especially in immunocompromised patient. These infections have to be treated with last resort antibiotics, such as colistin for the treatment of drug-resistant enterobacteriaceae or acinetobacter spp. Additionally the prevention of infections plays an important role in protecting critically ill patients.