Controversies Regarding the New Definition of Sepsis

The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (SEPSIS-3) task force assessed the latest pathophy-siological parameters associated with sepsis and septic shock and defined sepsis as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. This SEPSIS-3 definition may be applied using relevant clinical and biological criteria in-cluding changes in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and serum lactate levels. The new definition does not include cri-teria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome or the concept of `severe sepsis.` The SEPSIS-3 definition aims to devise more precise descriptions of sepsis and to improve clinical care. However, there are important questions relating to the clinical applica-tion of the new definition. We review the main characteristics and limitations of previous definitions and discuss some of the poten-tial controversies raised by the new framework. (Korean J Med 2017;92:342-348)