Recent advances in the comprehension and the management of perioperative systemic host response during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary induces a systemic inflammatory response (SIRS). SIRS is broadly defined as an inflammatory state of the whole body without a proven source of infection. Many pre and postoperative variables have been defined that have a negative impact on SIRS. Although many strategies have been developed, targeting given biomarkers very few of these proved to be effective in a clinical setting. In order to better understand why this happened a new approach for defining SIRS was proposed. This review describes this new concept and the recent patents involved.