Systemic inflammatory response syndrome

In medicine, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is an inflammatory state of the whole body (the "system"). It is characterized by :-

• fast heart rate (tachycardia, heart rate >90 beats per minute)
• low blood pressure (systolic <90 mmHg or MAP <65 mmHg)
• low or high body temperature (<36 or >38°C)
• high respiratory rate (>20 breaths per minute)
• low or high white blood cell count (<4 or >12 billion cells/liter).

It can be caused by

• severe trauma
• surgical operations
• burns
• hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
• acute pancreatitis.
• It can also be caused by infection - in this case it is called sepsis.