Abstract: A mathematical prognostic in which changes in a number of physiologically significant factors are measured and interpolated to determine a “damage function” incident to bacterial infection or other serious inflammation. By measuring a large number of physiologically significant factors including, but not limited to, Interleukin 6 (IL6), Interleukin 10 (IL10), Nitric Oxide (NO), and others, it is possible to predict life versus death by the damage function, dD/dt, which measures and interpolates differential data for a plurality of factors. In mammals, an IL6/NO ratio <8 at 12 hours post infection is highly predictive (60%) of mortality; also in mammals, an IL6/NO ratio <4 at 24 hours post infection is highly predictive (52%) of mortality; and an IL6/IL10 ratio in mammals of <7.5 at 24 hours post infection is highly predictive (68%) of mortality.