RESUMEN
Background- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory and multisystem autoimmune disorder. Patients of SLE are at increased risk of infections owing to underlying immunological derangements and to the use of therapeutic regimens like immunosuppressive agents. Among the bacterial infections presenting as bacteremia in these patients, non typhoidal and typhoidal salmonellosis are commonly encountered. We report a rare case of Salmonella Paratyphi B bacteremia in a patient with juvenile onset SLE on treatment with corticosteroids.
RESUMEN
The spleen plays a major role in the opsonisation of capsulated bacteria. A thalassemic patient is treated with prophylactic antibiotics, vaccines, chelating agents, blood transfusions and many a time, with splenectomy. The surgery predisposes patients to infections with capsulated organisms.Vaccines can prevent occurrence of streptococcal and haemophilus infections to some extent. However Gram negative septicaemia due to capsulated bacteria can be overwhelming in these patients and when caused by multidrug resistant strains can warrant the need for administration of expensive antibiotics to save the life of the patient.