1 Day Of Pleuritic in Medicine / Internal Medicine — 24yo Man | Hematology | SMLE Q#17537
SMLE Question #17537
Medicine / Internal Medicine
Hematology
Objective: OBJ-HEM-ACS-001
Last updated: February 2026
A 24-year-old man with homozygous sickle cell disease presents with 1 day of pleuritic chest pain, fever, and worsening shortness of breath after a recent vaso-occlusive crisis treated with opioids. Examination shows diffuse bilateral crackles, and chest X-ray shows new bilateral patchy infiltrates. Despite supplemental oxygen, he remains hypoxemic. What is the most appropriate treatment to rapidly improve oxygenation and reduce sickling?
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