Mead Johnson Critical Care Symposium for the Practising Surgeon. 3. Monitoring and investigation of intra-abdominal sepsis.

Diagnosis and management of intra-abdominal sepsis continue to be major problems in critically ill patients. Multiple system organ failure secondary to intra-abdominal sepsis continues to cause serious morbidity and death. The first step in management is to recognize the infection, while providing careful supportive therapy. A number of radiologic investigations, including ultrasonography and computed tomography, will help to diagnose a potential source of infection, which can be positively identified by fine-needle aspiration and culture. The septic focus must be drained either percutaneously or, if this fails, surgically. Use of specific antibiotics is imperative. Delay in diagnosis and surgery increases the death rate, so all available diagnostic modalities should be utilized, but these should not replace careful ongoing clinical assessment.