[Asplenia and DIC (author's transl)]

3 cases of severe septic shock are described; a 5 month old girl with congenital hyposplenia, a 2 3/12 year old boy splenectomized because of microspherozytosis and a 11 6/12 year old boy splenectomized because of Hodgkin's disease. In 2 cases pneumococci were found in the blood cultures. In all 3 cases the coagulation analysis showed a consumption coagulopathy. Intravenous streptokinase treatment was applied in addition to general treatment for shock and antibiotic therapy. 2 patients survived and made a complete recovery, whereas the 2 year old boy died. The histological findings showed a severe DIC. In the Department of Surgery, Innsbruck, 44 children have been splenectomized during the last 6 years, 38 of whom we were able to follow up on for an average of 3.3 years. After an average of 1.2 years following splenectomy, 4 patients (including the 3 cases mentioned above) contracted acute septicaemia; a further patient also incurring a probable sepsis with DIC. 3 of these 5 children died, representing a morbidity rate of 13% and a mortality rate of 8%. The mortality rate is thus as high as that caused by the primary disease, indicating the urgency of prophylaxis for infections of this kind. 3 prophylactic forms of treatment are suggested: protection with penicillin, active immunization with polyvalent pneumococcal antigen and spleen preservation whenever possible.