Question:easy
A boy presented with multiple non-suppurative osteomyelitis along with sickle cell anaemia. What will be the causative organism?
A boy presented with multiple non-suppurative osteomyelitis along with sickle cell anaemia. What will be the causative organism?
Show Hint
Sickle cell plus osteomyelitis is a classic pairing pointing to an enteric organism, not staph.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Salmonella
- S. aureus
- H. influenzae
- Enterobacter species
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Spot the buzzword pairing - osteomyelitis plus sickle cell anaemia is a deliberate exam clue, so the default $S.\ aureus$ answer is being tested against a known exception.
Step 2: In sickle cell disease, repeated splenic infarction produces functional asplenia, crippling defence against encapsulated and enteric organisms; gut microinfarcts let Salmonella seed the blood.
Step 3: This combination makes Salmonella the leading cause of bone infection in sickle cell patients, frequently presenting as multifocal disease as described in the stem.
Step 4: The other options - $S.\ aureus$, $H.\ influenzae$ and Enterobacter - are common causes of osteomyelitis in the general or paediatric population but are not the sickle-cell-specific answer.\[\boxed{\text{Salmonella}}\]
Step 2: In sickle cell disease, repeated splenic infarction produces functional asplenia, crippling defence against encapsulated and enteric organisms; gut microinfarcts let Salmonella seed the blood.
Step 3: This combination makes Salmonella the leading cause of bone infection in sickle cell patients, frequently presenting as multifocal disease as described in the stem.
Step 4: The other options - $S.\ aureus$, $H.\ influenzae$ and Enterobacter - are common causes of osteomyelitis in the general or paediatric population but are not the sickle-cell-specific answer.\[\boxed{\text{Salmonella}}\]
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