Severe sepsis includes the signs and symptoms of sepsis plus what?

• A. Multi-organ dysfunction
• B. Renal failure
• C. Pneumonia
• D. Hypotension only

Answer: (A)

Severe sepsis means sepsis with organ dysfunction, indicating that the septic process has affected multiple body systems beyond the initial infection. The best choice reflects this broader impact—multi-organ dysfunction signals that more than one organ is failing, which is what makes sepsis become severe.

Renal failure is an example of organ dysfunction, but naming just one organ doesn’t capture the widespread systemic impact that defines severe sepsis. Pneumonia describes where the infection started, not the severity of the septic response. Hypotension can occur with sepsis, but it isn’t by itself sufficient to define severe sepsis; some patients exhibit organ dysfunction without low blood pressure.