Predicting which febrile kids with sickle cell disease are at low risk for bacteremia
Official title: Derivation and validation of a clinical prediction rule to identify febrile children and adolescents with sickle cell disease at low risk for bacteremia
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11441291 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small, patient-facing prediction rule is being developed to help doctors decide which febrile children with sickle cell disease really need aggressive testing and antibiotics.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $313,649 |
| NIH project number | 1R21HL188689-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11441291 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents with sickle cell disease who present to the emergency department with fever.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not fit the low-risk profile or whose clinical course is not captured by the rule may not benefit.
What this research studies
If your child has sickle cell disease and becomes feverish, doctors often worry about bacteremia and may order blood cultures and antibiotics. This project aims to create a reliable rule using data from multiple centers to identify which kids are at low risk, potentially reducing unnecessary tests and treatments. The study will use existing clinical information to derive and validate the rule so it can be used in real emergency department care. It’s designed to translate into a simple tool that clinicians can apply promptly when a febrile child with SCD presents to the ED.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the rule could shorten hospital stays and limit unnecessary antibiotics for low-risk children with sickle cell disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies suggested some predictors but none were validated across multiple centers, making this a novel, multicenter effort.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Aronson, Paul L — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Aronson, Paul L
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.