septic shock

noun

: a severe form of sepsis that is associated with profound, life-threatening circulatory, cellular, and metabolic abnormalities, that is marked especially by increased capillary permeability and vasodilation resulting in persistent, dangerously low blood pressure and reduced blood flow despite fluid administration, and that leads to multiple organ failure

By many estimates, sepsis—and its most severe form, septic shock—is the leading cause of death for intensive care patients in the U.S. and the 10th most common cause of death for everyone else in the country.

—Maryn McKenna

Examples of septic shock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When Covid hit in March 2020, the couple decamped to the Berkshires, and Tavitian died of septic shock in the hospital there, though the cancer was far along, too, said Fitzpatrick. —Ted Loos, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024

One of the three patients identified in the recent paper, a 62-year-old man with a history of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C, was ill enough to be admitted to the intensive care unit with septic shock. —Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

Such symptoms could rapidly progress to full-on organ failure similar to septic shock. —Byjennifer Couzin-Frankel, science.org, 14 Nov. 2024

You were diagnosed with cancer as a teenager and suffered from septic shock this year. —Theresa Pichler, Glamour, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

septic shock

noun

: a severe form of sepsis that is associated with profound, life-threatening circulatory, cellular, and metabolic abnormalities, is marked especially by increased capillary permeability and vasodilation resulting in persistent, dangerously low blood and reduced blood flow pressure despite fluid administration, and that leads to multiple organ failure