Is there an increased risk of Haemophilus influenzae septicemia in children with sickle cell anemia?

Abstract

The risk of Haemophilus influenzae septicemia/meningitis to children who have sickle cell anemia (SS) has been determined to be greater than that seen among normal infants. Of ten bacteriologically proven cases, eight episodes of infection were observed among 234 children with sickle cell anemia (645 person-years), who were less than 5 years of age. There was one case per 69 infants with sickle cell anemia who were less than 18 months old and one case per 36 children with sickle cell anemia between 19 and 59 months of age. Unexpectedly, two infections occurred among 224 children (824 person-years), aged 5 to 9 years; both died. Contrary to the rapid clinical course of pneumococcal infections in children with sickle cell anemia H influenzae septicemia was regularly heralded by a greater than 24-hour prodrome of upper respiratory tract infection, low-grade fever, and otitis media. Three (30%) preventable deaths occurred. Antibiotic therapy for the febrile child with sickle cell anemia must be predicated on the known 400-fold increased risk of pneumococcal septicemia in those less than 5 years old and the fourfold risk of H influenzae septicemia in those less than 9 years of age.