The Journal of infectious diseases
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Infections that occur after intraabdominal surgery still cause considerable morbidity and mortality despite the administration of prophylactic antibiotics. Increasing the number of neutrophils may also be a prophylactic approach, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been found to be beneficial in different animal models of peritonitis and sepsis. It is the combination of G-CSF and antibiotics, however, that is clinically relevant. ⋯ Compared with saline, antibiotics alone increased tumor necrosis factor and did not affect interleukin-10. Thus, G-CSF confers onto antibiotics beneficial antiinfectious and antiinflammatory properties. A prophylactic regimen combining G-CSF and antibiotics may help prevent severe infectious complications following intraabdominal surgery.