Isidoro Di Carlo1, Stefano Primo, Elia Pulvirenti, Adriana Toro. 1. Department of Surgical Sciences, Organ Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, University of Catania Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania, Italy. idicarlo@unict.it
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: [corrected] The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidence of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI), the usefulness of vaccination in preventing OPSI, and whether affected patients had received the current best practice preventive measures. METHODOLOGY: The patients, observed from June 1991 to May 2005, were reviewed retrospectively. Gender, age, causes of splenectomy, vaccinations and complications were studied. RESULTS: 225 patients (178 males, 47 females) underwent splenectomy, and of these, 79 patients (35.1%) were considered for the present study. Seven patients (8.8%) were informed about the risks of infection and received pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine after splenectomy. Sixty-eight patients (86.7%) receive influenza vaccine every year. One of the patients that did not receive immunoprophylaxis had OPSI (incidence 1.26%) 1 year after splenectomy. CONCLUSION: Vaccination seems to prevent OPSI. Because of low incidence of OPSI, however, prospective randomised studies in patients without risk factors are needed to evaluate the usefulness of immunoprophylaxis.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: [corrected] The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidence of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI), the usefulness of vaccination in preventing OPSI, and whether affected patients had received the current best practice preventive measures. METHODOLOGY: The patients, observed from June 1991 to May 2005, were reviewed retrospectively. Gender, age, causes of splenectomy, vaccinations and complications were studied. RESULTS: 225 patients (178 males, 47 females) underwent splenectomy, and of these, 79 patients (35.1%) were considered for the present study. Seven patients (8.8%) were informed about the risks of infection and received pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine after splenectomy. Sixty-eight patients (86.7%) receive influenza vaccine every year. One of the patients that did not receive immunoprophylaxis had OPSI (incidence 1.26%) 1 year after splenectomy. CONCLUSION: Vaccination seems to prevent OPSI. Because of low incidence of OPSI, however, prospective randomised studies in patients without risk factors are needed to evaluate the usefulness of immunoprophylaxis.
Authors: Antonio Di Sabatino; Marco Vincenzo Lenti; Francesco Paolo Tinozzi; Marina Lanave; Ivana Aquino; Catherine Klersy; Piero Marone; Carlo Marena; Andrea Pietrabissa; Gino Roberto Corazza Journal: Intern Emerg Med Date: 2017-08-10 Impact factor: 3.397