Background Postoperative infections remain common after high-risk gastrointestinal
procedures. PGG-glucan (Betafectin; Alpha Beta Technology Inc, Worcester, Mass), derived
from yeast cell walls, promotes phagocytosis and intracellular killing of bacterial pathogens
by leukocytes, prevents infection in an animal model of wound infection, and acts
synergistically with antibiotics to reduce mortality in rat peritonitis. Hypothesis We
hypothesized that infectious complications in these patients might be reduced by the …