**2.1 Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)**

The presence of SIRS is defined by derangements in temperature, ventilation, increased heart rate, or leukocytes—all markers of systemic inflammation. The authors of Sepsis-1 specified that SIRS was more for the recognition of sepsis rather than a tool for grading severity of sepsis. Despite this, studies have validated SIRS to have prognostic value. Higher SIRS scores correlate with more rapid progression to sepsis and are positively correlated with mortality rates [4, 5]. Higher SIRS scores also showed stepwise increases in mortality as sepsis severity increased comparing patients with SIRS, sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock [4]. However, SIRS scores

were found to be overly sensitive and poorly specific in predicting mortality leading to overdiagnosis and treatment of sepsis.
