title: Do post-splenectomy patients take prophylactic penicillin?
abstract: Splenectomized patients are at risk of overwhelming infection and are advised to take life-long prophylactic oral penicillin. Compliance studies have not been published for adults in this situation. We used a standard biological assay to detect penicillin in the urine of 58 splenectomized patients. 24 (42%) patients had evidence of penicillin in their urine. Patients' sex, age, years from splenectomy and underlying diagnosis were not important factors in identifying good or poor compliance. Since 58% of patients did not take their penicillin on the day studied, we need to consider alternative strategies of antibiotic use and patient education.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boswell
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Milligan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods; D001681:Biological Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000652:urine; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D010406:Penicillins