Outpatient management of fever in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) in an African setting.

Because hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics for treatment of a potentially fatal bacterial infection in febrile children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are difficult to apply, outpatient treatment has been considered in developed countries for selected patients. Eligibility criteria and procedures may differ in developing countries because of unique economic and social conditions. After clinical evaluation within 36 hr of the onset of a fever exceeding 38.5 degrees C, children with SCD who are being closely followed as a part of a SCD cohort in Cotonou (West Africa), were treated as outpatients. The antibiotic regimen consisted of intramuscular injection of ceftriaxone 50 mg/kg/day for 2 days followed by amoxicillin 25 mg/kg x 3/day x 4 days and oral hyper-hydration. Patients were observed for 6 hr and thereafter discharged with a medical control at day 2, day 8 + day 15. All 60 children included completed their treatment, and none were lost to follow-up. A definite or a presumed bacterial infection was the cause of the febrile episode in 76.7% of cases. An appreciable decrease in fever was observed from day 2 and only 2 patients were hospitalized at day 3, one for abdominal painful crisis and one other for persistent fever without documented infection. No severe bacterial infections, recurrence of febrile episode, nor death were encountered during the follow-up. The cost of this outpatient approach is US $30 per patient as compared to US $140 per patient if the patient had been hospitalized. Outpatient management of febrile episode in children with SCD is feasible and cost-effective in Sub-Saharan African. It requires, however, improved medical education on SCD and immediate medical attention after the onset of fever. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.