What follow-up care is most important for the nurse to teach a patient who has had a splenectomy?

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After splenectomy, patients are at an increased risk for infections, particularly from encapsulated bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Therefore, yearly influenza vaccination is important to prevent influenza infection which can be fatal in splenectomized patients. Monthly coagulation studies, oral analgesics for pain control, and routine transfusion of packed red blood cells are not typically required after splenectomy.

What Follow-Up Care Is Most Important for the Nurse to Teach