This site is intended for healthcare professionals

account_circleSign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Relative risks from infection

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The risk of severe infection following splenectomy is low - about 0.4% per year. This is 12 times the risk of the general population.

Subgroups of asplenic patients have variable risks:

  • splenectomy following trauma has a better prognosis

  • the risk is 25 times baseline in patients with malignant disease

  • the risk is 50 times baseline in children

The risk is greatest during the first two years following splenectomy but asplenic patients are susceptible for life.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page