SINGAPORE - Multiple organ failure does not just strike people who are critically ill. It can also happen in healthy individuals, say doctors.

It can be caused by acute medical emergencies such as physical trauma from road accidents; severe burns and scalds; and intense poisoning.

“Such trauma triggers an extreme inflammatory response in the body. It activates the immune response to try to neutralise the danger, prevent infection, and initiate tissue repair,” said general surgeon with PanAsia Surgery Glenn Bonney.

This inflammation goes from a protective mechanism to a deadly threat that causes the body to lose its ability to regulate itself. More white blood cells are recruited to the affected area, triggering widespread damage.

“Paradoxically, this flood of inflammatory signals that the immune system releases damages vital organs, causing them to fail instead of being protected,” he said.

Andrew Hong Choon Chiet, who heads the Division of Foot and Ankle Surgery at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the National University Hospital (NUH), agreed.

“When multiple organ failure occurs in a patient with, say, an ankle fracture, it is usually related to other factors or complications rather than the fracture alone,” he said.

These may include severe, life-threatening injuries that are being treated in the intensive care unit, major blood loss, overwhelming infection leading to sepsis (blood poisoning), or serious medical complications such as a deep vein thrombosis (deep vein blood clot) leading to pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung).

“Surgery may contribute to certain risks, such as blood clot formation, but the injury itself, patient-related risk factors, reduced mobility, and pre-existing medical conditions also play important roles,” he added.

Teo Li-Tserng, Director of Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s (TTSH) Trauma Centre, said: “Even in otherwise healthy individuals, the use of steroids, immunosuppressants, certain health supp...