Infectious disease clinics of North America
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Infect. Dis. Clin. North Am. · Sep 2007
ReviewThe prevention and management of infections in children with asplenia or hyposplenia.
Overwhelming sepsis remains a significant complication of asplenia and hyposplenia. The mainstays of prevention are education, immunization, and prophylactic antibiotics. ⋯ 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.
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Infect. Dis. Clin. North Am. · Sep 2007
ReviewInfection in patients with severe burns: causes and prevention thereof.
The better understanding of burn pathophysiology has resulted in effective fluid resuscitation in the acute stage, but the morbidity and mortality of burn patients are mostly linked to the burn wound consequences. Once the initial acute phase is over, the burn wound becomes the source of virtually all ill effects, local and systemic. The dysfunction of the immune system, a large cutaneous bacterial load, the possibility of gastrointestinal bacterial translocation, prolonged hospitalization, and invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures all contribute to infectious complications. Wound infection may lead to septicemia that may not only consume additional resources but is associated with significant morbidity and mortality despite the advances in burn care.