Alterations in host defense associated with inhalation anesthesia and blood transfusion.

Anesthesia and blood transfusions have been demonstrated to impair immune function. The present study evaluated whether these impairments led to increased susceptibility to infectious complications in two animal models. Both transfusions and anesthesia (methoxyflurane) were found to increase susceptibility to peritoneal Escherichia coli infections. This susceptibility increased with time after the transfusions but decreased with time after anesthesia. Neither transfusions nor anesthesia altered susceptibility to an intravenous Escherichia coli challenge in rats.