A systemic inflammatory response to a variety of clinical insults, characterized by two or more of the following conditions: (1) fever >38 degrees c or hypothermia <36 degrees c; (2) tachycardia >90 beat/minute; (3) tachypnea >24 breaths/minute; (4) leukocytosis >12,000 cells/cubic mm or 10% immature forms. while usually related to infection, sirs can also be associated with noninfectious insults such as trauma; burns; or pancreatitis. if infection is involved, a patient with sirs is said to have sepsis.

In immunology, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is an inflammatory state affecting the whole body. It is the body's response to an infectious or noninfectious insult...