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Organ dysfunction is a condition where anorgan does not perform its expected function.Organ failure is organ dysfunction to such a degree that normalhomeostasis cannot be maintained without external clinical intervention orlife support. It is not a diagnosis. It can be classified by the cause, but when the cause is not known, it can also be classified by whether the onset ischronic oracute.
Multiple organ failure can be associated withsepsis and is often fatal. Countries such as Spain have shown a rise in mortality risk due to a large elderly population there.[1] There are tools physicians use when diagnosing multiple organ failure and when prognosing the outcome. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score[2] uses early lab values in a patient's hospitalization (within 24 hours) to predict fatal outcomes for a patient.
