Abstract
THE occurrence of vascular collapse during the course of a severe infection by bacteria which do not produce an exotoxin was first described by Friderichsen in 1918, in cases of meningococcal septicaemia. He pointed out that such collapse could occur without haemorrhage into the adrenal glands, and, following the description of this “Syndrome”, it became recognized that shock could occur in a variety of infective conditions, Gram negative bacteria usually being demonstrable on blood culture. Thus, Stevens (1953) noted that profound hypotension could result from the transfusion of infected blood. In 1956, severe shock due to B. coli bacteraemia was reported by both Studdiford in 7 cases of septic abortion, and Dumoulin in 3 obstetrical patients—2 of these latter had developed an overt intrapartum infection.
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