Overwhelming Post Splenectomy Infection (OPSI) in Adult – Need for Awareness and Recognition

Overwhelming Post Splenectomy infection (OPSI) is a rare but fulminant disease with high mortality. The symptoms are usually non-specific in the initial stages mimicking flu and the source of infection usually remains cryptic. In spite of aggressive management, death rapidly occurs and is usually due to overwhelming sepsis. The commonest organism implicated is Streptococcus pneumoniae and the risk for OPSI after splenectomy is present throughout the lifetime of an individual. We report a case of a young woman who had undergone splenectomy nine years back. She rapidly deteriorated and died after a non-specific infection of three days duration. This case report is being presented to highlight that awareness and recognition of this important entity among physicians along with appropriate vaccination and education of patients ' at risk may help reduce the high mortality associated with this serious disease.