Recently published papers: Curing, caring and follow-up

Following the success of the activated protein C trial in 2001 [1], interest in anticoagulant therapy for severe sepsis was heightened. A systemic imbalance between procoagulant and anticoagulant pathways exists in severe sepsis, leading to thrombus formation in the microvasculature and to subsequent end-organ injury. Endothelial injury occurring in severe sepsis is thought to be a trigger for this process, initiating the clotting cascade via the transmembrane receptor, known as tissue factor, and its interaction with factor VII. Inhibition of this interaction would block the coagulation pathway at its earliest point.