Of 27 patients undergoing major surgical procedures--mainly orthopaedic ones--we took the temperature, blood sedimentation rate, total white blood cell count, fraction of immature to total neutrophils (I:T proportion) and C-reactive protein. With the exception of the I:T proportion all unspecific indicators of inflammation showed an increase after the operation. Therefore, the I:T proportion is the most reliable parameter for the postoperative control of infections, since it is not subject to surgical trauma.

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