[Antistaphylococcal bacteriostatic activity of the sera from surgical patients]

Blood serum was examined in 41 patients (operated for various forms of acute appendicitis) on the 5th--6th day after the operation when 10 of the patients developed purulent complications of staphylococcal etiology. A determination was made of the titres of beta-lysins and the bacteriostatic activity against 2 strains of S. aureus by the modified Ehrenkranz et al method. The mentioned indices were low in the great majority of cases; consequently, the appearance of purulent complications in the operated patients was independent of the antistaphylococcal bacteriostatic activity and the beta-lysin titres in their sera. Prophylactic express-immunization of a number of patients by crude staphylococcus toxoid did not influence the nonspecific humoral immunity factors.