title: Levamisole and postoperative complications: a controlled clinical trial.
abstract: We studied the relationship between cell-mediated immunity (assessed by preoperative skin reactions to four recall antigens) and postoperative infective complications in 166 patients undergoing major laparotomies. They were randomly allocated to receive 150 mg of levamisole or placebo on the day of operation and for the following 2 days; their course was followed for at least 1 month. Neither the degree of preoperative anergy nor the administration of levamisole resulted in any significant differences in numbers of postoperative deaths or infective complications, but the levamisole group had significantly less postoperative pyrexia than the control group.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005334:Fever / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007978:Levamisole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000276:immunology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D007978:Levamisole