Book excerpt: Handbook of Mediators in Septic Shock presents a comprehensive, systematic evaluation of the various putative mediators of septic shock through the use of meta-analysis. Experts of individual mediators have objectively evaluated the collective literature using classical Koch-Dale Criteria for causal relationships. A decision tree approach has been used to analyze the existing evidence for each of the four Koch-Dale Criteria for each individual mediator of septic shock. The book provides an integrated perspective that describes how these many mediators interact. It also covers how advances in mathematical modeling of complex realities are applied to the field of septic shock pathogenesis. CRC Handbook of Mediators in Septic Shock will be a useful reference for emergency room and intensive care physicians, trauma specialists, pathophysiologists, physiologists, biochemists, pharmacologists, and others interested in the topic. Features