Acute chest syndrome

Acute Chest Syndrome

Acute chest syndrome (pronounced: a-kyoot chest sin-drome) is a vaso-occlusive crisis of the pulmonary system in people with sickle cell disease. It is a common cause of morbidity and the second most common cause of hospitalization in patients with sickle cell disease.

Etymology

The term "acute" is derived from the Latin word "acutus", meaning sharp or severe. "Chest" is derived from the Old English "cist", which refers to the thoracic cavity. "Syndrome" comes from the Greek "syndromē", which means concurrence of symptoms, or a disease characterized by a set of associated symptoms.

Symptoms

Symptoms of acute chest syndrome include fever, chest pain, and respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea, tachypnea, and wheezing. Other symptoms may include cough, hypoxia, and lung infiltrates visible on a chest radiograph.

Causes

Acute chest syndrome can be caused by infection, fat embolism, or pulmonary infarction due to vaso-occlusion by sickled cells. The most common infectious agents include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Treatment

Treatment for acute chest syndrome often includes antibiotics, pain management, hydration, and oxygen therapy. In severe cases, blood transfusion or exchange transfusion may be necessary.

Related Terms

• Sickle cell disease
• Vaso-occlusive crisis
• Pulmonary infarction
• Fat embolism
• Hypoxia

See Also

• Sickle cell disease
• Pulmonary system
• Respiratory system

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Acute chest syndrome
• Wikipedia's article - Acute chest syndrome

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