Clinical and hematoloical complications in children with sickle-cell disease at Assuit University Children Hospital

Background and aim
Sickle-cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary hemoglobinopathy with significant morbidity and potentially a fatal disease that has many associated acute and chronic complications. This study aims at identifying the most common complications associated with SCD, their risk factors, and to assess the quality of care and management of these cases at Assuit University Children Hospital.
Study type and setting
Cross-sectional descriptive study. It was conducted at Assuit University Children Hospital, including all cases of SCD, who were admitted at the hematology unit or who attended the outpatient hematology clinic during the period of the last 2 years.
Patients and methods
The study included 56 patients with SCD who attended the hematology unit or clinic for routine follow-up care or emergency services. We collected the medical data of our patients in standardized form by checking their medical records in our hospital. This form was designed to include personal characteristics, the reason for their hospitalization, family history, treatment protocols, and follow-up.
Statistical analysis
Microsoft Excel was used to analyze the entered data. Quantitative variables were expressed as means, while qualitative variables were expressed as numbers and percentages.
Results
Among the 56 (53.5%) participants were male. About (53%) of participants presented with vaso-occlusive episodes that were considered the most common complications of SCD, sequestration crisis (10.7%), and stroke (7%), while the prevalence of fever and infection was (5.3%).
Conclusion
Children with SCD in Egypt have a high prevalence of complications related to SCD. Through this study, we would like to improve the quality of care and management of these cases.