What is a common complication for patients with sickle cell disease?

Patients with sickle cell disease are particularly vulnerable to encapsulated bacterial infections as a common complication due to their impaired immune response. The disease causes chronic hemolysis and can lead to splenic dysfunction or asplenia, especially in children. The spleen plays a crucial role in filtering out encapsulated organisms such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b. When the spleen is not functioning properly or is absent, patients lose this important defense mechanism, leading to a higher risk of severe infections from these types of bacteria.

This increased susceptibility to infections highlights the necessity for pneumococcal vaccinations and prophylactic antibiotics in individuals with sickle cell disease, particularly during childhood. Monitoring and preventive care are essential to reduce the incidence of these life-threatening infections in affected individuals.