Professor Dr Konrad Reinhart

Research Priorities: Sepsis, guidelines for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sepsis, long-term effects of the condition
Konrad Reinhart is a German anaesthesiologist and intensive care physician, who dedicated his career to studying and tackling sepsis. He focused on the early recognition and treatment of the frequently fatal condition, as well as educating the public and establishing international guidelines for sepsis management.
Sepsis, colloquially known as blood poisoning, is one of the world’s leading causes of death and still poses a major challenge even to modern medicine. Despite tremendous progress in intensive care medicine, the mortality rate remains high and many patients suffer long-term damage. Sepsis occurs when an infection triggers an excessive immune reaction in the body, which can ultimately lead to organ damage and in some cases complete organ failure. This is less a direct result of the infection itself than it is due to the excessive reaction of the immune system.
The immune response dysfunction is at the core of the condition. The reaction is usually triggered by a bacterial infection, with fungi, viruses, and parasites all possible causes. The initial infection leads to activation of the innate immune system, which releases numerous inflammation mediators. These messengers, including cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), cause a systemic inflammatory reaction which, if not controlled, leads to damage to the lining of blood vessels and dysfunction of numerous organ systems.
The complex interactions between the causal pathogens, the host response, and the therapeutic measures undertaken to treat the condition are not yet sufficiently understood. Konrad Reinhart has played a major role in elucidating the pathological processes and developing new forms of treatment. In his research he initiated pioneering studies which show, for example, that the early use of antibiotics and guided support of the circulatory system increases patients’ survival chances.
The specialist in intensive care medicine also worked to ensure that international guidelines for sepsis management were established, and these have led to significant improvements in treatment. Konrad Reinhart also stressed the importance of sepsis as a global health problem, which led to the World Health Organisation (WHO) making it a priority issue in its list of health problems. Within Germany, German Sepsis Aid became a point of contact for patients, while at international level the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) was set up in 2010 and was led by Konrad Reinhart as Founding Director for a long time. He and his team also managed to establish World Sepsis Day as an opportunity to raise public awareness of the condition.
He continues to promote progress in immunology, new biomarkers, and precision medicine to help ensure that sepsis is no longer one of the most feared diagnoses. Reinhart is among the most cited specialists in the field of sepsis research.