The theme of SensUs 2022 is acute inflammation in intensive care with a focus on sepsis. According to the World Health Organization, sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. It causes 11 million deaths each year and affects an estimated 49 million people worldwide.<ref name="Arti2">WHO - Health topics - Sepsis, WHO, 2021, https://www.who.int/health-topics/sepsis#tab=tab_1 </ref> According to experts, the diagnosis of sepsis is often set too late as the symptoms arise when organ injury has already occurred, hence the millions of deaths. Sepsis is one of several acute inflammatory responses; others can be caused by injurious agents such as allergens, toxins, burns, and frostbite.<ref name="Arti3">Acute Inflammatory Response, StatPearls Publishing LLC, 2020, Hannoodee, Sally Nasuruddin, D. N. </ref> Clinically, acute inflammation is characterized by five cardinal signs: redness, increased heat, swelling, pain, and functio laesa (i.e. loss of function). It may be regarded as the first line of defense against injury, releasing signaling molecules such as cytokines and chemokines to assist in healing the body and returning to homeostasis. <ref name="Arti4">Concise Pathology (3rd ed.). Chandrasoma, P., & Taylor, C. R. (1997), Appleton & Lange. </ref>