Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is well recognized as a chronic inflammatory disease, 300,000 to 400,000 children are born with sickle cell disease every year in the world. SCD remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite progress in therapy, effective treatment and management of SCD has been a challenge in Africa over the years.

Haematological parameters are very useful profile in the effective management of SCD. This study aim to compare hematological profile among sickle cell disease patients with and without complications.

This was a cross sectional hospital based study carried out at the Yaoundé Central Hospital from March to May, 2023. All sickle cell disease patients both those with and without complications   were included in the study.

The study reviewed records of patients diagnosed with ischemia, anaemia and infections. The sample size was obtained using the proportion of sickle cell disease patients presented with haematological abnormalities (23.1%) and the sample size was calculated using Lorentz sample size formula. A consecutive sampling technique was used to enroll study participants.

Questionnaire was used to collect socio demographic and clinical information.  A sample of 3-4ml of venous blood was collected from each participant using a standard venipuncture technique into ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid tubes for determination of full blood count parameters using Hematology Analyzer.

The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software program version 27. The means of haematological parameters was compared among sickle cell patients with and without complications using the student t-test. p-Values <0.05 were considered statistically significant among the patients.

A total of 80 participants were enrolled into this study. This was made up of 35(43.8%) males, 45(56.3%) females. 46.3% of patients were within the age group of 22-29years, and 68 had complications while only 12 were without complications.

The haematological abnormalities among sickle cell patients with complications were leukocytosis (54.4%), neutrophilia (83.8%), neutropenia (1.5%), lymphopenia (4.4%) lymphocytosis, moderate anaemia (51.5%), severe anaemia (48.5%), and thrombocytosis (44.1%).

Haematological abnormalities among patients without complications were neutrophilia (41.7%), lymphocytosis (16.7%). The mean HB was significantly lower in patients with complications while the mean WBC, neutrophil and basophil counts were significantly lower in patients without complications at p<0.05.

The most observed haematological abnormalities among sickle cell patients with complications were leukocytosis, neutrophilia, anaemia, and thrombocytosis. The most common Haematological abnormalities among patients without complications were neutrophilia, lymphocytosis, monocytosis, anaemia, and thrombocytosis. The mean WBC, basophil and neutrophil counts, were significantly lower in patients without complications.

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