The acute chest syndrome in sickle cell disease: incidence and risk factors. The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease.

The acute chest syndrome (ACS), a pneumonia-like illness in sickle cell patients, is one of the most frequent causes of their morbidity and hospitalizations. Repeated ACS events may predict the development of chronic lung disease. ACS is reported as a frequent cause of death in these patients.

Toothbrushing and transient bacteremia in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.

This study was made to determine whether and to what extent bacteremia occurred after toothbrushing in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances. Twenty patients were selected, all with negative history of heart or hematologic disorders. These patients had not taken antibiotics or had a history of a cold in the previous 30 days.

Pitted red cell counts in Nigerian children with sickle cell anemia: correlation with age and splenic size.

Using direct interference phase-contrast microscopy (Normansky Optics), pit counts were performed on 32 HbSS patients, aged 3 to 17 years. The influence of age and splenic size on counts were also investigated. Nine HbSS and 15 HbAA age and sex-matched, healthy individuals served as controls.

Model for phase III autografts of epidermal cells cultured on a collagen-proteoglycan biomatrix.

The primary aim of this study was to develop a model system that uses epidermal cells (keratinocytes and accessory pigmented cells) cultured on a reconstituted basement membrane biomatrix for use in conjunction with type I collagen as a replacement dermis-epidermis in the treatment of recurrent ulcerative lesions. Type I collagen sponges (Collistat) have been shown to promote rapid healing of leg ulcers but with extensive scarring (Reindorf et al, 1989). Dermatome sections from patients undergoing elective plastic surgery were treated with dispase to dissociate epidermis from dermis, the inner epidermal cells were then dissociated with trypsin-EDTA and plated on the biomatrix.

Rapid healing of sickle cell leg ulcers treated with collagen dressing.

Chronic leg ulcers in sickle cell anemia occur mainly around the ankles. The prevalence is up to 75% in adults. These ulcers are painful and debilitating, yet medical treatment is unsuccessful.