ATI Pathophysiology Practice Exam

The body responds to sepsis primarily by triggering an inflammatory response. Sepsis is a systemic reaction to infection that can lead to widespread inflammation. This inflammatory response is crucial as it acts to fight the infection and repair tissue damage. Cytokines, which are signaling molecules, are released to recruit immune cells to the site of infection, increasing vascular permeability, and promoting the cascade of immune reactions that aim to eliminate pathogens.

As the inflammatory response progresses, it can lead to symptoms such as fever, increased heart rate, and changes in blood pressure. While other responses, such as increased heart rate or blood volume alterations, may occur as part of the overall systemic reaction to sepsis, the hallmark characteristic is the intense inflammatory response.

In this context, while enhancing blood flow to muscles, increasing heart rate, or retaining water to increase blood volume might be associated with certain physiological responses, they are not the primary mechanisms driving the body's reaction to sepsis. The focus remains on the inflammatory response as the key defender against the infection and the primary driver of changes that occur throughout the body in sepsis.