Simon J. Finney, PhD, MBChB, editiorialist Arthur P. Wheeler, MD, FCCP, and CHEST Podcast Editor, D. Kyle Hogarth, MD, FCCP, discuss an article by Dr. Finney and others that reviews their research into modifying the traditional definition of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) following cardiac surgery. They found that they could improve the predictive value of SIRS criteria when the definition was adjusted to meeting three or more criteria or, most especially, fulfilling two or more of the criteria for at least six consecutive hours.