A 6-year-old boy with sickle cell disease presents with fever (39.2°C), lethargy, and nuchal rigidity. Vital signs show HR 128/min, RR 28/min, BP 102/68 mmHg, and SpO2 98% on room air. Blood cultures grow an encapsulated gram-positive diplococcus that is alpha-hemolytic and optochin-sensitive. CSF shows elevated protein at 180 mg/dL. He denies recent head trauma. Functional loss of which splenic role most likely predisposed this patient to severe meningococcal infection?
- A)Class switching of B cells from IgM to IgG
- B)Generation of neutrophils from myeloid precursors
- C)Production of erythropoietin
- D)Maturation of T lymphocytes
- E)Removal of opsonized encapsulated bacteria from bloodGABARITO
Explicação
The spleen is essential for filtering blood and clearing opsonized encapsulated organisms, especially Streptococcus pneumoniae. Functional asplenia in sickle cell disease therefore greatly increases the risk of overwhelming sepsis and meningitis from encapsula... Ver explicação completa e trilha adaptativa →