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Microbiology, Treatment, and Prevention

Samuel Charache, MD; Jean C. Scott, RN; Patricia Charache, MD

Arch Intern Med. 1979;139(1):67-69.

Abstract
Fifty-two episodes of fever, chest pain, increased leukocytosis, and pulmonary infiltrate ("acute chest syndrome") were studied in 28 adults with sickle cell anemia. Possible bacterial pathogens were identified in sputum cultures from less than half of the episodes; no pneumococci were found, and Staphylococcus aureus was the only bacterium associated with a longer illness than that seen when only normal flora were recovered.

Much disease diagnosed as "pneumonia" in adults with sickle cell anemia is probably pulmonary infarction. Many of these patients will recover with no more than modest supportive care; if antibiotics are used they should be directed against S aureus (and possibly Hemophilus species). Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine has great potential for preventing life-threatening infection in children with sickle cell anemia, but may not change the incidence or severity of the acute chest syndrome in adults.

(Arch Intern Med 139:67-69, 1979)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Medicine (Dr S. Charache and Ms Scott) and Laboratory Medicine (Dr P. Charache), The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication June 14, 1978.

Reprint requests to Hematology Division, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Blalock Building 1036, Baltimore, MD 21205 (Dr Charache).

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