Asplenia medical treatment
Medical Therapy
Emergency Medical Management of suspected sepsis in Asplenic patient
Asplenia can cause sepsis and require immediate management:[1]
- Children with asplenia for every febrile illness, must be seen by a physician immediately.
- Sepsis in individuals with asplenia or hyposplenia is a medical emergency as these patients can die within several hours of fever onset despite appearing well initially.
- Administration of antibiotic therapy should not be delayed and blood culture should be performed unless there is an obvious nonbacterial source.
- Ceftriaxone: 100 mg/kg/dose, (maximum 2 g/dose) should be given in all asplenic patients.
- Administer both ceftriaxone and vancomycin (60 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 6 h) in case of intermediate or high penicillin-resistant pneumococci.
- If the patient is treated in a clinic or office setting, refer immediately to the nearest emergency department.
- Clinical deterioration can be rapid even after antibiotic administratin so changes in antibiotics should be done after culture reports available.
- Vancomycin and ciprofloxacin can be used if the patient has an allergy to penicillin or cephalosporin. Changes in antibiotics should be done after culture reports available.