Science Education: Physical Trauma and Sepsis
Studies on physical trauma and sepsis, the body's overwhelming immune response to severe injury or infection, focus on questions like:
- What changes occur immediately and over time when a person is critically ill or injured?
- Why does the immune system go into overdrive?
- How can we improve diagnosis and treatment strategies?
Follow the links below to learn more about physical trauma and sepsis, including recent discoveries, and read profiles of researchers working in these areas.
Fact Sheets
Burns
Heat, chemicals, electricity, sunlight or nuclear radiation can cause tissue-damaging burns. Get answers to questions about burns and related treatments and research.
Sepsis
An overwhelming immune response to infection can cause sepsis. Get more information about sepsis and what we're learning about it.
Trauma
Trauma is the leading cause of death for people 1 to 44 years old. Learn more about trauma.
Research News
How a Fungus Outmaneuvers a Copper Attack
Lethal strains of a fungus use two mechanisms to disarm the host’s immune system, shedding light on how antifungal drugs could be designed to thwart these detoxification systems.
Porcupine Quill Structure May Offer Model for Future Medical Devices
The ways in which natural and synthetic porcupine quills penetrate tissue could aid the development of improved medical adhesives and needles.
Researchers Identify Enzyme's Role in Inflammation
Researchers have identified and learned to stop an enzyme that sets off inflammation.
Articles
Life After Traumatic Injury: How the Body Responds
Researchers are learning about what happens to the body—from its molecules and cells to its tissues, organs and systems—after a traumatic injury.
Armpits, Belly Buttons and Chronic Wounds: The ABCs of Our Body Bacteria
Understanding how and why bacteria colonize particular places on the body could point to ways of treating skin and other conditions.
Tracking Bacteria in the Blood
To better understand bacterial bloodstream infections, an emergency room doctor is working with mathematicians and engineers to think about the problem in a whole new way.
Profiles: Meet a Scientist
For Janice: Legacy of a Short Life
Neurosurgeon and immunologist Kevin Tracey studies why our immune systems cause illness.
Dogging Sepsis
Veterinarian Cynthia Otto
studies sepsis, a dramatic, full-body reaction to an injury or illness.
Healthy Healing
Dentist-immunologist Luisa Ann DiPietro studies wound healing to help find therapies that make wound healing a more rapid, regenerative process.
Audio and Video
Dr. Scott Somers on Trauma
NIGMS' Scott Somers talks about what happens to the body after a serious physical injury.
Dr. Kevin Tracey on Sepsis
Kevin Tracey describes how he became interested in studying sepsis and what scientists have learned about the condition.
Dr. John Younger on Sepsis 
John Younger discusses how he combines medicine, math and engineering to understand the occurrence of sepsis and less severe infections.
Images
Skin Cross-Section
Cross-section of skin anatomy shows layers and different tissue types.
Heart Rates Time Series
These time series show the heart rates of four different individuals.
Virtual Snow World
Psychologists developed this virtual "Snow World" to test whether immersing someone in a pretend reality could ease pain during burn treatment and other medical procedures.
For Teachers
Free Science Education Materials
Using Our Materials in Your Classroom
Curriculum Supplements: Doing Science and Evolution and Medicine
Social Media Links