["Multiorgan failure" in surgery: its physiopathology, prevention and treatment. A review of the literature].

At present multiorgan failure (MOF) is the complication with the highest mortality after emergency or elective general surgery. The syndrome seems to find its pathogenesis out of the very complex interactions of endogenous and exogenous mediators; instead the physiopathology seems to depend on cellular oxygen deficiency. The authors refer the common criteria defining organ and/or system damage during MOF and analyse the available possibilities for their treatment. In this regard they stress the role of prevention, which relies on the opportune treatment of earlier stage of shock, constantly preceding the syndrome, and on the intensive organ/systems functions monitoring to obtain an early and rational correction of the alterations taken away.