In order to analyze the development from systemic inflammatory response syndrome(SIRS) to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and probe the therapeutic strategies, the authors studied retrospectively the clinical data of SIRS and MODS in 1374 patients with abdominal surgical emergency. The results showed that on admission the morbidity of SIRS was 32.5%, afterwards the morbidity of MODS was 6.4%, and the mortality of the patients with SIRS was 4.8%. After 48 hours' therapy, MODS developed in 33.0% of the SIRS cases. Of all the 1374 patients, 40 developed MODS(2.9%) and 27 died (67.5%). The authors point out that the outcome of the patients with abdominal surgical emergency can be improved on condition that SIRS is early diagnosed, the cause of SIRS after 48 hours of therapy is well defined, and the body inflammatory response is properly regulated.