Care of the Asplenic Patient.

Link to article at PubMed

Care of the Asplenic Patient.

N Engl J Med. 2014 Jul 24;371(4):349-356

Authors: Rubin LG, Schaffner W

Abstract
Key Clinical Points Care of the Asplenic Patient Asplenic patients are at risk for episodes of rapidly progressive septicemia that are fatal in up to 50% of cases. Asplenic patients should be informed that any illness with fever or severe symptoms without fever could indicate the onset of a life-threatening infection. Asplenic patients in whom fever develops should receive empirical antimicrobial therapy immediately. Vaccinations against pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae type b, meningococci, and influenza virus are recommended for asplenic patients. Prophylactic antimicrobial therapy is generally recommended for asplenic children younger than 5 years of age and may be considered for older children and adults during the initial 1 to 2 years after splenectomy, with lifelong prophylaxis for persons who have had an episode of postsplenectomy sepsis.

PMID: 25054718 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *