title: The prevention and management of infections in children with asplenia or hyposplenia.
abstract: Overwhelming sepsis remains a significant complication of asplenia and hyposplenia. The mainstays of prevention are education, immunization, and prophylactic antibiotics. Evidence to base recommendation and guidelines is lacking. Such decisions as the specific immunizations required, the timing of immunizations, the duration of antibiotic prophylaxis, and the prevention of overwhelming postsplenectomy sepsis in children undergoing splenectomy are often empiric. This article reviews the current literature on the prevention and management of severe infections in children with underlying asplenia or hyposplenia.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University, 5850-5980 University Ave, P.O. Box 9700, Halifax, Canada, B3K 6R8 Halifax, Canada. vicky.price@iwk.nshealth.ca
authors.forename: Victoria E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Victor S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Blanchette
authors.forename: E Lee
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Ford-Jones
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017053:Infection Control; D007239:Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D013154:Spleen / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013156:Splenectomy; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination