Multiple organ failure following a variety of insults, including, trauma, shock and pancreatitis,
is the cause of 50–80% of all deaths in surgical intensive care units. In most patients,
infections secondary to a general immunosuppressive state serve to trigger the development
of multiple organ failure. This immunosuppressive state may be a consequence of excessive
release of adenosine into the extracellular space, as adenosine has multiple
immunosuppressive effects. Activation of adenosine receptors on immune cells inhibits the …