[Sepsis and septic shock during pregnancy: clinical management]

Sepsis is one of the main causes of maternal death, being related to infections from obstetric origin (infected abortion, chorioamnionitis, puerperal infection) or non-obstetric (resulting from infections which occur in other areas). This review aims at describing the mechanisms involved in the physiopathology of this entity and at updating the clinical approach to sepsis, recommended in international guidelines (early goal-directed therapy--precocious resuscitation, or precocious treatment guided by goals), as well as at calling attention to the influence of pregnancy both in the clinical manifestation and in the therapeutic management of septic conditions.