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[Fulminant infection outcome after splenectomy]
M Rodriguez Gomez1, U Oehler, B Helpap
1Institut für Pathologie, Hegau Klinikum, Singen.
Der Pathologe
|May 1, 1997
Summary
Patients who underwent splenectomy (surgical removal of the spleen) can develop overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI). This severe sepsis, caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, occurred in two unvaccinated individuals years after spleen removal.
Area of Science:
- Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Pathology
Background:
- Splenectomy, the surgical removal of the spleen, significantly increases the risk of severe infections.
- Overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI) is a rare but life-threatening complication.
- Vaccination is crucial for asplenic individuals to prevent OPSI.