Prevention of Infections Among Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Recipients With Asplenia or Hyposplenism

Area of Science:

• Transplant medicine
• Pediatric infectious diseases
• Immunology

Background:

• Pediatric solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients with splenic dysfunction are at increased risk for infections.
• Management guidelines for asplenia/hyposplenism in SOT recipients are often lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide practice recommendations for managing splenic dysfunction in pediatric SOT recipients/candidates.
• To address identification, prophylactic strategies, and patient counseling related to asplenia/hyposplenism in this population.

Main Methods:

• Development of practice recommendations in a frequently asked questions (FAQs) format.
• Expert opinion and existing literature on splenic dysfunction management in asplenic populations informed the recommendations.

Main Results:

• Recommendations cover identification of asplenia/hyposplenism in SOT candidates/recipients.
• Guidance on prophylactic strategies to mitigate infection risk is provided.
• Emphasis on appropriate patient counseling regarding risks associated with splenic dysfunction.

Conclusions:

• The FAQs provide a framework for managing splenic dysfunction in pediatric SOT recipients.
• Highlights gaps in current literature and suggests future research directions for asplenia/hyposplenism in transplantation.