Adrenomedullin in plasma of surgical ICU-patients with sepsis - a pilot study

Synthesis and liberation of adrenomedullin (ADM) are found in different tissues and endothelial cells and ADM is induced by hypoxia, oxidative stress, and pro-inflammatory cytokines [1]. The prognostic value of ADM is described in general patient populations, in medical patients and in particular recently in patients with suspected sepsis in the emergency department [2, 3]. In surgical patients, the obstacle is to differentiate between postoperative inflammation and sepsis and to assess the patients' prognosis.