Forty patients undergoing clean-contaminated, contaminated, and dirty surgical procedures were studied to determine whether daily C-reactive protein (CRP) measurements for 10 days following surgery could predict the occurrence of septic complications before clinical recognition. Diagnostic criteria for septic complications and positive CRP response were defined in advance of the study. The CRP measurements were carried out using semiquantitative latex agglutination after the patients discharge from the hospital. Fifteen complications were diagnosed in fourteen patients. These complications consisted of wound infections (3), urinary tract infection (4), and pneumonia (3). The CRP examination was found to have a positive predictive value of 77% and a negative predictive value of 85%. We conclude that serial CRP determinations may be valuable as part of the armamentarium to surgical care in patients at considerable risk of post-operative septic complications. (Author)