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Systems Failure

Meaning

Systems Failure, in a physiological context, refers to the catastrophic, non-compensatory breakdown in the coordinated function of one or more major organ systems, leading to a critical and often life-threatening inability to maintain homeostatic equilibrium. This represents a state where the body’s physiological reserves have been completely depleted, and the intrinsic repair and regulatory mechanisms are overwhelmed. It is the clinical endpoint of severe, unmanaged chronic disease or acute overwhelming insult.