Intestinal Salmonella carriage in patients with major sickle cell hemoglobinopathies

The increased incidence of Salmonella osteomyelitis in patients with sickle cell disease has never been entirely explained. Problems such as cholelithiasis, intestinal infarction, and frequent antibiotic use in this population could possibly result in prolonged or chronic intestinal carriage of Salmonella after acute gastroenteritis. If prolonged carriage were a factor in the pathogenesis of osteomyelitis, attempts to eliminate the Salmonella with antibiotics would be indicated. We did a stool culture survey of 71 patients attending our pediatric sickle cell clinic to determine the incidence of asymptomatic Salmonella carriage. At least two rectal swab cultures were obtained from each patient; 69% of patients also mailed in a stool sample for culture. No Salmonella was isolated. It therefore appears unlikely that prolonged intestinal Salmonella carriage is an important mechanism in the development of Salmonella osteomyelitis in patients with major sickle hemoglobinopathies.