An overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI) is a rare but rapidly fatal infection occurring in individuals following removal of the spleen. The infections are typically characterized by either meningitis or sepsis, and are caused by encapsulated organisms including Streptococcus pneumoniae.
The risk of OPSI is 0.23–0.42 percent per year, with a lifetime risk of 5 percent. Most infections occur in the first few years following splenectomy, but the risk of OPSI is lifelong. OPSI is nearly uniformly fatal without treatment, and modern treatment has decreased the mortality to approximately 40–70 percent. Individuals with OPSI are most commonly treated with antibiotics and supportive care. Measures to prevent OPSI include vaccination and prophylactic antibiotics.
Read more about Overwhelming Post-splenectomy Infection: Mechanism
Famous quotes containing the words overwhelming and/or infection:
“The overwhelming majority of Americans are possessed of two great qualities—a sense of humor and a sense of proportion.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power.”
—Jacob Bronowski (1908–1974)