Abstract: Background: Sepsis, defined by an expert consensus definition as, the development of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome in presence of infection. (1) The current incidence of sepsis is at least 240 patients per 100,000 people in the United States population, whereas for severe sepsis it is between 51 and 95 patients per 100,000 people. The incidence rate for sepsis has been increasing over the past two decades, driving an increase in the number of deaths despite a decline in case-fatality rates. Sepsis is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States and accounts for more than 17 billion dollars in direct healthcare expenditures. (2) Sepsis has a high mortality rate, with estimates ranging from 20 to 50 percent. (3, 4) Mortality rates increase stepwise according to disease severity. In one study, the mortality rate of SIRS, sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock was 7, 16, 20, and 46 percent, respectively. (5)