1. OVERWHELMING POSTSPLENECTOMY INFECTION
- Author
-
Anna M. Lynch and Rajendra Kapila
- Subjects
Microbiology (medical) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Medical setting ,Incidence ,Mortality rate ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Splenectomy ,Clinical course ,Infections ,medicine.disease ,Surgery ,Sepsis ,High morbidity ,Infectious Diseases ,Intervention (counseling) ,Humans ,Medicine ,business ,Intensive care medicine - Abstract
The incidence of overwhelming sepsis in asplenic patients is low. It carries, however, an unacceptably high morbidity rate and mortality rate. The risk of development is related to the age of the patient as well as the duration since and the reason for splenectomy. It may also occur in functionally hyposplenic states. The rapidly lethal clinical course demands intense efforts toward prevention by both physician and patient, rapid recognition within the initial medical setting, and aggressive intervention with broad-spectrum antibiotics and other supportive measures.
- Published
- 1996
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