This nationwide, population-based cohort study from Taiwan found that children who underwent appendectomy had a significantly higher risk of developing nontyphoidal Salmonella infection compared with matched peers who did not have the surgery (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.58), with the greatest risk observed in children younger than 5 years. Using health insurance data from 2000–2019, the authors suggest that removal of the appendix—an organ with known immunologic functions—may increase susceptibility to enteric infection, highlighting the need for post-appendectomy surveillance and preventive strategies in pediatric populations.

Source: JAMA Network Open