The SIRS criteria presented here are revised by Stony Brook Medicine, as presented by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign.
Sepsis: ≥ 2 of the following which are new to the patient, in the setting of a suspicion of a new infection.
Severe sepsis: SIRS and ≥ 1 of the following, that is new and not explained by other known etiology of organ dysfunction.
Sepsis = SIRS + suspected or present source of infection
Severe Sepsis = sepsis + (lactic acidosis, hypotension, or organ dysfunction)
Septic Shock = sepsis + hypotension refractory to adequate IV fluid resuscitation
Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome = evidence of 2+ organs failing
Goals of time to antibiotics: septic shock / severe sepsis = < 1 hr after time of recognition; sepsis = < 3hrs after triage time
The definition employed by the 2012 Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines also include elevated CRP, elevated procalcitonin, and ileus as possible criteria for sepsis, but do not define a specific number of criteria to define sepsis. In addition, slight variations of lab cutoffs exist.
Stony Brook Medicine Protocol. Severe Sepsis Surviving Sepsis Campaign. Text.
Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2012. Crit Care Med J. 2013; 41(2): 580-637.