title: Bacteraemia in sickle cell anaemia is associated with low haemoglobin: a report of 890 admissions to a tertiary hospital in Tanzania.
abstract: Bacteraemia is a leading cause of morbidity in sickle cell anaemia (SCA), but information from studies in Africa is limited. We evaluated 890 admissions from 648 SCA patients at a tertiary hospital in Tanzania. Bacteraemia was present in 43 admissions (4·8%); isolates included Staphylococcus aureus (12/43; 28%), non-Typhi Salmonella (9/43; 21%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (3/43; 7%) and Salmonella Typhi (2/43; 5%). Compared to SCA patients without bacteraemia, SCA patients with bacteraemia had significantly lower haemoglobin [71 g/l vs. 62 g/l, odds ratio 0·72 (95% confidence interval 0·56-0·91), P < 0·01]. Further exploration is needed of the relationship between anaemia and bacterial infections in SCA in Africa.
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.|University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4801-6250
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Makani
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mgaya
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balandya
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Khadija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Msami
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Deogratias
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soka
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.|London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: Sharon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Albert N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Komba
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.|Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rwezaula
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.|Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Elineema
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meda
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Collaborative Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muturi
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kitundu
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.|Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Collaborative Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fegan
authors.affiliation: University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Fenella J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kirkham
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.|University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.|Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Collaborative Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.|Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Collaborative Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.|University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.|Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Collaborative Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lowe
keywords: Africa; admission; bacteraemia; haemoglobin; sickle cell anaemia