Sepsis is a life-threatening multiple-organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, with high mortality worldwide; 11 million deaths per year are attributable to sepsis in high-income countries. Several research groups have reported that septic patients display a dysbiotic gut microbiota, often related to high mortality. Based on current knowledge, in this narrative review, we revised original articles, clinical trials, and pilot studies to evaluate the beneficial effect of gut microbiota manipulation in clinical practice, starting from an early diagnosis of sepsis and an in-depth analysis of gut microbiota.
Keywords: clinical outcome; gut microbiota; next-generation sequencing (NGS); sepsis.