SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Covid-19 Infection in a Patient With Sickle Cell Sc Disease

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This report describes a 33-year-old woman with HbSC sickle cell disease who was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. She presented with shortness of breath, chest pain, thigh and back pain, fever, and cough, and developed hypoxic respiratory failure requiring nasal cannula oxygen. Her labs showed inflammatory markers elevated, including LDH, ferritin, and CRP, while troponin and procalcitonin were not significantly elevated. Chest X-ray showed bilateral patchy mid- to lower-lung opacities, raising concern for developing airspace disease and possible acute chest syndrome.<br /><br />During hospitalization, she was treated with empiric antibiotics, therapeutic anticoagulation, and dexamethasone. Despite fever and respiratory compromise, her course remained relatively mild, with no progression to critical illness. Imaging before discharge still showed opacities, but they had improved significantly by hospital day 9.<br /><br />The authors place this case in the context of early-pandemic concerns that sickle cell disease, due to chronic immunocompromise and risk of vaso-occlusive and pulmonary complications, might worsen COVID-19 outcomes. However, their review of published cases and case series suggested that many sickle cell patients with COVID-19 experienced mild disease and had a lower observed mortality than expected compared with the general hospitalized population. In their compiled literature review of 141 patients, only 5 deaths were reported.<br /><br />The paper concludes that while sickle cell disease may increase concern for severe COVID-19 and acute chest syndrome, available case data suggest many patients can recover without major complications. The authors emphasize that more research is needed to understand why outcomes may be relatively favorable in some immunocompromised or younger patient groups.

Asset Subtitle

Besim Ademi

Meta Tag

Author List Besim Ademi, Jerald L. Taggart, Joshua Dickerson

Category Clinical Vignettes

Concept Sickle Cell Disease

Concept Acute Chest Syndrome

Concept COVID-19

Concept Hypoxemia

Concept Vaso-occlusive Pain

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Tulane University School of Medicine

Presenting Author Besim Ademi

Track Adult

Keywords

HbSC sickle cell disease

COVID-19

acute chest syndrome

hypoxic respiratory failure

bilateral lung opacities

inflammatory markers

dexamethasone

therapeutic anticoagulation

vaso-occlusive pain

case series review

Sickle Cell Disease

Acute Chest Syndrome

COVID-19

Hypoxemia

Vaso-occlusive Pain