Incidence of serious infections after splenectomy in childhood

Ten groups of authors investigated their cases of splenectomized children in four different indication groups for frequency of postsplenectomy infection. Only severe infections were included and defined. A total of 1039 splenectomized patients were evaluated for the rate of infection and lethality following splenectomy. It was seen that in all groups there was a definite rate of infection and resultant deaths which was lowest in traumatic splenectomies and highest in malignant hematological diseases. The frequency of infection was highest in the early postoperative phase. Infections, however, still occurred more than 6 years after splenectomy. In older children the vulnerability to infection was less than in younger ones, but the mortality in older children was higher. The gravity of this danger can be seen, and effective therapeutic measures must be found and carried out. Especially, the attitude towards splenectomies should be changed in favor of spleen-preserving surgical procedures.