Skip to main content
British Heart Journal logoLink to British Heart Journal
. 1991 Feb;65(2):102–103. doi: 10.1136/hrt.65.2.102

Fatal pneumococcal septicaemia associated with asplenia and isomerism of the right atrial appendages.

I A Murdoch 1, R D Anjos 1, A Mitchell 1
PMCID: PMC1024502  PMID: 1867941

Abstract

A 22 month old male infant with isomerism of the right atrial appendages (associated with a complete atrioventricular septal defect, double outlet right ventricle, and pulmonary valve stenosis) died from pneumococcal septicaemia after a 36 hour illness. He had not been given penicillin prophylaxis. Asplenia was confirmed at necropsy. In a survey of 50 paediatric cardiologists in the United Kingdom, 13 (33%) of the 40 (80%) who replied did not advise any prophylactic measures against pneumococcal infection in patients with isomerism of the right atrial appendages.

Full text

PDF
102

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson C., Devine W. A., Anderson R. H., Debich D. E., Zuberbuhler J. R. Abnormalities of the spleen in relation to congenital malformations of the heart: a survey of necropsy findings in children. Br Heart J. 1990 Feb;63(2):122–128. doi: 10.1136/hrt.63.2.122. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bolan G., Broome C. V., Facklam R. R., Plikaytis B. D., Fraser D. W., Schlech W. F., 3rd Pneumococcal vaccine efficacy in selected populations in the United States. Ann Intern Med. 1986 Jan;104(1):1–6. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-104-1-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dickerman J. D. Splenectomy and sepsis: a warning. Pediatrics. 1979 Jun;63(6):938–941. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gaston M. H., Verter J. I., Woods G., Pegelow C., Kelleher J., Presbury G., Zarkowsky H., Vichinsky E., Iyer R., Lobel J. S. Prophylaxis with oral penicillin in children with sickle cell anemia. A randomized trial. N Engl J Med. 1986 Jun 19;314(25):1593–1599. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198606193142501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Huhta J. C., Smallhorn J. F., Macartney F. J. Two dimensional echocardiographic diagnosis of situs. Br Heart J. 1982 Aug;48(2):97–108. doi: 10.1136/hrt.48.2.97. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Shann F. Modern vaccines. Pneumococcus and influenza. Lancet. 1990 Apr 14;335(8694):898–901. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(90)90489-r. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Waldman J. D., Rosenthal A., Smith A. L., Shurin S., Nadas A. S. Sepsis and congenital asplenia. J Pediatr. 1977 Apr;90(4):555–559. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(77)80365-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Heart Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES