Table 1

 Organ system dysfunction criteria

One or more of the following should be present in two or more systems to satisfy criteria for multi-system dysfunction:
A. Cardiovascular system
        Heart rate <55/min
        Mean arterial blood pressure <50 mm Hg
        Systolic blood pressure <60 mm Hg
        pH <7.25 with PaCO2 <50 mm Hg
        Ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation
B. Respiratory system
        Respiratory rate ⩽5/min or ⩾49/min
        PaCO2 ⩾50 mm Hg
        Dependant on ventilator on fourth day of organ system dysfunction
C. Renal
        Urine output <480 ml/day or <160 ml/8 hours
        Blood urea ⩾1 g/l
        Serum creatinine >35 mg/l
D. Haematological
        Packed cell volume ⩽20%
        White blood cells ⩽1000/mm3
        Platelets ⩽20 000/mm3
E. Hepatic
        Bilirubin>60 mg/l and PT >4 s more than control
F. Central nervous system
        Glasgow coma scale <6