Life-threatening surgical infection: its development and prediction.

A number of clinical, investigational, immunological, and peroperative host factors are identified which will predispose the patient to a serious postoperative infection that may endanger his life. The degree of the risk and the severity of the infection can be predicted, but only fairly crudely at present. The future holds a more precise identification of these risk factors and thus greater accuracy in predicting operative risk. The methods of preventing life-threatening postoperative infections, both those currently used and those projected for the future, are discussed.