In order to determine preoperatively the severity of intestinal ischemia requiring resection, a multivariate analysis was performed, using nine preoperative parameters. A multiple-discriminant function, using body temperature and creatine kinase and glucose serum levels, could predict the need for intestinal resection with a discriminant rate of 86.5% in the retrospective study, and with a rate of 89.5% in the prospective study. These data suggest that the multiple-discriminant function may predict the severity of intestinal ischemia relative to the necessity for bowel resection.