Incidence of septic and thromboembolic-related deaths after splenectomy in adults

Abstract

In a review of 37012 autopsies over the last 20 years 202 deceased adults who had had a splenectomy were investigated. The incidence of infections and thromboembolic complications related to death in these patients was compared with that of a matched deceased population (n = 403) who had not undergone splenectomy. Death-related pneumonia was diagnosed frequently in the splenectomy group and to a lesser extent in the control group (57.9 versus 24.7 percent, P < 0.001). Lethal sepsis with multiple organ failure occurred in 6.9 per cent of the splenectomy group and in 1.5 per cent of the controls (P < 0.001). Purulent pyelonephritis was observed in 7.9 per cent of the splenectomy group and was significantly more frequent than in the control group with its rate of 2.2 per cent (P < 0.001). Finally, pulmonary embolism was the major or a contributory cause of death more often in the splenectomy group than in the control group (35.6 versus 9.7 per cent, P < 0.001). We conclude that splenectomy generates a considerable life-long risk of severe infection and of thromboembolism.