For 'the total population of patients with sepsis, sepsis syndrome or SIRS', the question of whether intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) reduces mortality is neither proved nor disproved. For the sepsis subgroups 'postoperative sepsis with a sepsis score more than 19' and 'endotoxaemic, early septic shock', a significant reduction in mortality by IVIG has been documented in a single, placebo-controlled, small trial of each subgroup; subsequent studies are needed for confirmation. The incidence of some severe infections in defined 'patients at risk' and 'operations at risk' is lowered by IVIG prophylaxis. Postoperative APACHE II-score identification of high-risk cardiac surgery patients prone to sepsis and severe SIRS may represent one approach to optimize individual, early therapy. Applying this concept to immune globulin treatment in a pilot study, the administration of IgG-IVIG and IgGMA-IVIG yielded similar results.