BONE INFARCTION VERSUS INFECTION IN SICKLE-CELL DISEASE IN CHILDREN

We reviewed emergency admissions for the complaint of musculoskeletal symptoms for 113 children with sickle cell disease. Over a 2-year peri od, we accumulated a total of 247 admissions to a major children's hos pital. Four osteoarticular infections were identified, resulting in an incidence of 1.6% per admission for musculoskeletal complaints. Admis sion history, physical findings, laboratory values, and radiographic s tudies were reviewed, We compared findings in the group with the posit ive diagnosis of osteoarticular infections with those who were thought to have only vaso-occlusive crisis. Although three of the four patien ts with infection had plain roentgenogram changes at the time of diagn osis, no statistically significant differences in the two groups could be determined.