A reproducible animal model of intra-abdominal infection was devised to simulate intra-abdominal sepsis in humans and emulate clinical trials. Preoperatively, rats were fed lean ground beef for two weeks to change their intestinal flora to one similar to that of humans. A 1 cm segment of ileum was isolated on its vascular pedicle. The intestine was then divided at each end of the segment and continuity re-established by end-to-end anastomosis. The isolated segment was returned to the abdominal cavity. This model was used to compare piperacillin/tazobactam with imipenem and with clindamycin plus gentamicin in treating the resulting infections. Eighty per cent of untreated animals died within three days. Treated animals had significantly reduced mortality and increased cure rates. One treated animal (in the clindamycin-gentamicin group) died. These results support the findings of the efficacy of piperacillin/tazobactam in treating intraabdominal infections in human clinical trials.