Fatal Pneumococcal Bacteremia in a Vaccinated, Splenectomized Child

Peter C. Appelbaum, Bahu S. Shaikh, Mark D. Widome, Robert A. Gordon, Robert Austrian

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterpeer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

To the Editor: Recent reports1,2 have focused attention on the potential threat of drug-resistant pneumococci and on the need for immunization of patients at high risk of serious pneumococcal infection. In the United States, where multiply resistant pneumococci are not a problem at present,3 splenectomy in children is considered to be one of the important indications for immunization with polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine.4 We wish to document a fatal case of pneumococcal bacteremia accompanied by disseminated intravascular coagulopathy in a splenectomized child who had received the vaccine two months before the onset of his terminal infection. In this six-year-old boy splenectomy.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)203-204
Number of pages2
JournalNew England Journal of Medicine
Volume300
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 25 1979

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Medicine(all)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Fatal Pneumococcal Bacteremia in a Vaccinated, Splenectomized Child'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this