Pentoxifylline (Trental, 5 mg/kg/h for 6 h) was administered to 17 premature infants with sepsis, on 3 successive days. A statistically significant decrease in mortality rate (P < 0.04) was observed in comparison to a retrospectively analysed group of 13 septic infants, who were treated in a comparative way but without the use of a pentoxifylline infusion. The suggestion that pentoxifylline may be an effective drug in the treatment of Gram-negative sepsis in premature infants should be tested in a double-blind, randomized study.