The Infection-Prone Hospital Patient

Abstract

Severe bacterial infection continues to be a persistent threat to the hospitalized patient. It has long been recognized that alterations in host resistance play a major role in determining the outcome of bacterial contamination and infection. Therapeutic measures that support or restore natural host resistance are likely to be an important step in preventing or treating infection. This monograph is a compilation of 16 reports presented before a recent symposium on infection in the hospitalized patient, held under the auspices of the Harvard Medical School and the Shriners' Burn Institute. Resumption of research in the area of host defense mechanisms, after nearly 30 years of relative neglect, has improved the understanding of abnormalities in host resistance. This volume is a welcome, concise, and readable update of the findings in this active area of research. The first three chapters review the roles of neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes in host resistance. Polymorphonuclear