Thermal injury increases the rate of translocation of Candida albicans in guinea pigs, but early enteral feeding can significantly decrease this rate. We studied the combined effects of C. albicans translocation and early feeding on outcome of thermal injury in guinea pigs. Eighty guinea pigs were subjected to a flame burn covering 50% total body surface area. One hour before burn injury, half of the animals underwent gavage with 3 x 10(10) viable C. albicans, a dosage that in previous studies was associated with greater than 90% incidence of yeast translocation to the mesenteric lymph nodes. The other half underwent gavage with an equal volume of saline. After injury, half of each group were randomly selected to receive guinea pig feed ad libitum and the other half were starved for 72 hours. All were allowed access to water ad libitum. Mortality rate was recorded at 3 3 days. The group that underwent gavage with C. albicans and subsequent starvation after burn injury had a significantly higher mortality rate than had any of the other groups. We conclude that induced translocation of C. albicans in guinea pigs increases mortality after burn injury. Moreover, early enteral feeding has a protective effect, presumably by decreasing translocation rates has been shown in previous studies.