Bacteraemia in Kenyan children with sickle-cell anaemia: a retrospective cohort and case-control study.

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 90% of children with sickle-cell anaemia die before the diagnosis can be made. The causes of death are poorly documented, but bacterial sepsis is probably important. We examined the risk of invasive bacterial diseases in children with sickle-cell anaemia.