In a prospective study (400 patients, intensive care stay > 18 h) the following data were documented daily: Clinical sepsis, a modified sepsis score, Apache II-score, number of organ failure, Elastase-concentrations and injury severity score (ISS > or = 20 = polytrauma). On admission day a prognostic assessment for early diagnosis of septic complications during intensive care could be demonstrated by a combination of the modified sepsis score and the number of organ failures and the presence of polytrauma. All other parameters did not have any predictive value.