Appendectomy and Risk of Nontyphoidal Salmonella Infection in Children

Is undergoing appendectomy associated with increased risk of developing nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) infection in children?In this nationwide cohort study in Taiwan involving 18 654 children who had an appendectomy and 74 616 children in a matched control group, children who underwent appendectomy had a 1.58-fold higher risk of developing NTS infection compared with the control group.These findings suggest that appendectomy is associated with a significantly increased risk of future NTS infection in children, suggesting the appendix may play a protective role in gut immunity.

Corresponding Author: Meng-Che Wu, MD, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Children’s Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, No. 1650, Taiwan Boulevard Sect 4, Taichung City 40705, Taiwan (wumengche@gmail.com).

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