Estimating the Risk for Sepsis after Splenectomy in Hereditary Spherocytosis

Brief Communications1 February 1995Estimating the Risk for Sepsis after Splenectomy in Hereditary SpherocytosisRobert F. Schilling, MDRobert F. Schilling, MDFrom the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-122-3-199502010-00005 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Since the alarming report by King and Schumacher [1] in 1952, it has been evident that some asplenic persons are at increased risk for life-threatening and fatal bacterial infections. Because all of the patients described in the 1952 report were children, it was briefly thought that this risk might be higher in children only. However, subsequent reports [2-6] have provided convincing evidence that splenectomy carries a substantial risk for sepsis in adults as well; adults should be instructed in prevention. I have been unable to find a quantitative estimate of the risk for fatal fulminant sepsis in persons who have ...References1. King H, Schumacher HB. Splenic studies. Ann Surg. 1952; 136:239-42. Google Scholar2. Teare L, O'Riordan S. Is splenectomy another indication for Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccination (Letter)? Lancet. 1992; 340:1362. Google Scholar3. Zarrabi MH, Rosner F. Serious infections in adults following splenectomy for trauma. Arch Intern Med. 1984; 144:1421-4. Google Scholar4. Singer DB. Postsplenectomy sepsis. In: Bolande RP, Rosenberg HS, eds. Perspectives in Pediatric Pathology. Chicago: Year Book Medical Publishers; 1973:285-311. Google Scholar5. O'Neal BJ, McDonald JC. The risk of sepsis in the asplenic adult. Ann Surg. 1981; 194:775-8. Google Scholar6. Schwartz PE, Sterioff S, Mucha P, Melton LJ 3d, Offord KP. Postsplenectomy sepsis and mortality in adults. JAMA. 1982; 248:2279-83. Google Scholar7. MacKinney AA Jr, Morton NE, Kosower NS, Schilling RF. Ascertaining genetic carriers of hereditary spherocytosis by statistical analysis of multiple laboratory tests. J Clin Invest. 1962; 41:554-67. Google Scholar8. Schilling RF. Hereditary spherocytosis: a study of splenectomized persons. Semin Hematol. 1976; 13:169-76. Google Scholar9. Gardner MJ, Altman DC. Statistics with confidence. London: British Medical Journal; 1989:28, 52. Google Scholar10. Konradsen HB, Henrichsen J. Pneumococcal infections in splenectomized children are preventable. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1991; 80:423-7. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Robert F. Schilling, MDAffiliations: From the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.Acknowledgments: The author thanks Yili Lu of the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Wisconsin for assistance with statistics. 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