title: A review of guidance on immunization in persons with defective or deficient splenic function.
abstract: The spleen acts as a blood filter and lymphopoietic organ. Asplenic and hyposplenic individuals are more susceptible to serious infections caused by encapsulated bacteria but they can be protected by antibiotic prophylaxis and immunizations. Recent progress in vaccinology means prophylaxis is now successful in the vast majority of serious infections with pneumococci, meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae type b responsible for the majority of cases of overwhelming sepsis in asplenic patients. Current guidelines are coherent. Physicians treating patients with conditions associated with hyposplenism are ethically obliged to immunize their patients using the vaccines currently available to protect them from largely preventable, life-threatening infections.
authors: Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.|Department of Paediatrics with Observation Ward, 2nd Medical Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Ernest
authors: E
authors: Kuchar
authors: Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Katarzyna
authors: K
authors: Miśkiewicz
authors: Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Monika
authors: M
authors: Karlikowska
mesh_terms: D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D005544:Forecasting; D059446:Heterotaxy Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013154:Spleen / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000502:physiology*; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines
keywords: asplenia; immunocompromised; sickle cell disease; splenectomy; vaccine