[Immune depression as a reaction to surgical operations--its significance for postoperative infection]

Injuries, burns, and surgical intervention may lead to temporary depression of immune defence. Today, life-threatening infections may be caused by bacteria, such as pseudomonas, bacteroids, serratia as well as by viruses, including cytomegaly virus, and yeasts. Severe infections of that kind may be countered by adequate nutrition, planned application of antibiotics or, in the future, by possible active substances against depression of the immunity system, such as interferone, interleucine, and prostaglandins. More attention should be given in surgery to control of immunological defence as well as to knowledge about immunological defence mechanisms. Immune defence has proved to play an important role not only in transplantation surgery but also in other major surgical interventions and in intensive therapy.