CRP and infection: Only one death was clearly attributable to infection: one post-cardiac surgery patient who developed bronchopneumonia due to P. aeruginosa and died in septic shock with severe myocardial depression at day 3 post infection in group C. Dying patients had a more elevated CRP level at the eighth day compared to survivors in the three groups: 145 ± 53 mg/l versus 93 ± 54.9 mg/l (p = 0.033).