Objective: To assess the outcome of patient education after splenectomy and vaccination and to determine the safety and efficacy of pneumococcal revaccination 2 or more years after primary vaccination.
Main outcome measures: Titers to serotype no. 6 and no. 23 pneumococcus and cutaneous and systemic reaction to revaccination.
Results: A total of 112 consecutive postsplenectomy patients receiving pneumococcal vaccine were identified; 45 were contacted and offered revaccination; 24 patients demonstrated a lack of understanding of the postsplenectomy state (unaware of splenectomy n = 2, unaware of splenectomy risk n = 8, unaware of vaccine n = 23); 3 patients had infections requiring hospitalization (pneumonia, strep throat and tonsillitis, pneumonia and bacteremia); 40 patients agreed to revaccination, and 33 patients returned for follow-up titers; 16 of 33 (48%) demonstrated at least a two-fold increase in at least one titer. Only 15% described the revaccination as worse than a tetanus shot.
Conclusions: (1) Despite physician-patient conversations, pamphlets, and Medic Alert bracelets, patient retention was poor. (2) All splenectomy patients should be revaccinated and reeducated between two and six years after splenectomy. (3) Revaccination after two years was well tolerated. (4) There were no fatal episodes of pneumococcal sepsis in over 200 patient years.