Infection Following Splenectomy in Infants and Children

Abstract

The incidence of sepsis following splenectomy, particularly in infants, is a subject of current interest. King and Shumacher¹ in 1952 reported the occurrence of meningitis in four of five infants splenectomized under 6 months of age for congenital hemolytic anemia. Smith et al.² in 1956 reported severe infections after splenectomy in 14, or 28%, of 50 infants and children. Gruber et al.³ reported overwhelming bacteremia with death in a premature infant 14 days after splenectomy for thrombocytopenic pupura. Robinson⁴ reported pneumococcal meningitis in a 5-month-old infant six weeks after splenectomy for congenital hemolytic anemia. In a review of 107 splenectomies in infants and children Gofstein and Gellis⁵ found severe infections after operation in 4 patients. They eliminated from their series those patients whose primary disease was a factor in increased susceptibility to infection. On the other hand, there have been many reports of successful splenectomies