MODS

MODS most commonly refers to Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome in clinical medicine, a life-threatening condition in which the failure of two or more organ systems occurs in the setting of severe illness or injury. MODS often evolves from systemic inflammatory response to sepsis, severe trauma, pancreatitis, burns, or major surgery. The syndrome reflects a dysregulated host response leading to organ hypoperfusion and energy failure.

Clinical features and management: The organs most frequently affected are the lungs, cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver, hematologic system, and brain. Diagnosis relies on evidence of progressive dysfunction across two or more organ systems, supported by scoring systems such as SOFA. Treatment centers on early identification and treatment of the underlying cause, supportive care including mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure, vasopressor support for shock, and renal replacement therapy if needed; nutritional support and infection control are also important.

MODS also stands for Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS), a bibliographic metadata schema developed by the Library of Congress. MODS is expressed in XML and provides a flexible structure for describing items such as books, manuscripts, and digital resources. It offers elements for title, author, subject, genre, language, notes, and relationships to other records, and is designed to be compatible with other standards such as MARC and Dublin Core. It is widely used in digital libraries and repository systems to support discovery and interoperability.

Other uses exist in different domains, but when used without context, MODS most commonly requires clarification to avoid ambiguity between medical and metadata references.