Sonal Gore
Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, India
Title: Study of prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in children with sickle cell anemia or sickle cell disease
Biography
Biography: Sonal Gore
Abstract
Background: Pulmonary hypertension is a potentially life-threatening complication, detected by echocardiographic evidence
of elevated tricuspid regurgitate velocity (TRV). This condition has been described in adults with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)
and other hemolytic disorders; however, there is little information on the occurrence of this condition in pediatric patients.
Method: Echocardiograms were performed in SCD patients under steady-state conditions. Pulmonary artery hypertension
(PAH) was taken as pulmonary artery systolic pressure of >30 mm Hg corresponding to a peak tricuspid regurgitates jet velocity
of >2.5 m/second. For each SCD patient, all relevant past history of hospitalization, crisis, blood transfusion history and
medication history were recorded. The SPSS 17.0 windows were used for all statistical analyses. The descriptive variables
were presented in percentages, averages, means and standard deviations. Various clinical and echocardiographic factors were
compared between sickle cell anemia/sickle cell disease patients with or without pulmonary hypertension. The Z score was
calculated. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Result: Of 38 patients of SCD, 10.52% (4 of 38) had elevated tricuspid regurgitate jet velocity>2.5 m/second. A low hemoglobin,
high reticulocyte count and high platelet were significantly associated with high pulmonary artery pressures.
Conclusion: High pulmonary artery pressures do occur in children with sickle cell disease. Screening by echocardiography can
lead to early detection and intervention that may potentially reverse the disease process.