Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

A young male with sickle cell disease experiences chest pain and fever. What should you suspect?

1. Acute asthma attack

2. Pneumonia

3. Pulmonary embolism

4. Heart attack

The correct answer is: Pneumonia

In a patient with sickle cell disease, presenting symptoms such as chest pain and fever can indicate a serious condition known as acute chest syndrome, which is a common complication associated with this illness. Acute chest syndrome often presents with respiratory symptoms, fever, and chest pain, and it can result from pneumonia, pulmonary infarction due to sickled cells obstructing blood flow in the lung's blood vessels, or infection. Pneumonia is particularly significant as individuals with sickle cell disease are at higher risk for infections due to compromised immunity and spleen function. The fever suggests an infectious process, while the chest pain could be related to lung involvement, reinforcing the suspicion of pneumonia. In this context, diagnosing pneumonia is important not only due to its prevalence in patients with sickle cell disease but also because it requires urgent intervention and management to prevent further complications, such as respiratory failure. The other options may occur in various contexts but do not align as closely with the common complications seen in sickle cell disease in this scenario.