Increased non-typhoidal Salmonella hospitalizations in transfusion-naïve thalassemia children: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Pediatric transfusion-naïve thalassemia patients have an 1.68-fold increased risk for hospitalization due to non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) infection. This is the first nationwide population-based cohort study based on an extremely large database that shows pediatric transfusion-naïve thalassemia patients have an increased risk for NTS hospitalizations. Besides the previously known risk factors such as extremes of age, sickle cell disease, or immunosuppressing conditions, clinicians must also take thalassemia as a possible risk factor for more severe NTS disease.