Pneumococcal Sepsis 8 Years after Splenectomy for Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Case of Vaccinated 12-year-old Patient
- Author:
Jungpyo LEE
1
;
Hyo Sun KIM
;
Jung Woo HAN
;
Chuhl Joo LYU
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. cj@yuhs.ac
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Immune thrombocytopenia;
Splenectomy;
Pneumococcal vaccine;
Sepsis
- MeSH:
Bacteria;
Haemophilus influenzae;
Humans;
Neisseria;
Pneumonia;
Sepsis;
Splenectomy;
Streptococcus pneumoniae;
Thrombocytopenia;
Vaccination
- From:Clinical Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
2013;20(1):62-65
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Splenectomy is a safe and effective procedure in the refractory or chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients. Overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI) is rare but fatal. The lifetime risk of post-splenectomy patients to develop an OPSI with encapsulated bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae or Neisseria meningitidis) is about 1-5% and the mortality is reported more than 50% in 48 hours. Though vaccination against encapsulated bacteria cannot prevent all infection, vaccination is essential for the patients. We report a case of OPSI in a 12-year-old post-splenectomy boy who was vaccinated pneumococcal polysaccharide 7-valent against pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) 2 months before splenectomy.
