Assessment Of ,pulmonary Functions In Patients With Sickle Cell Anemia In Steady State At Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Sickle cell anemia is one of the most common genetic disorders with more than 200 million carriers of sickle cell traits worldwide. With increasing survival into adulthood there has been an increase in chronic organ failure and the lung is among the major organs involved contributing to significant mortality and morbidity . To determine the prevalence and severity of pulmonary dysfunction in patients with sickle cell anemia in steady state at K.N.H. A cross sectional comparative study. Confirmed SCA patients on HB electrophoresis who were 12 years and above and the controls were life long non smokers matched for age and sex. A total of 160 cases comprising 80 SCA patients and an equal number of controls were recruited. History was taken and physical examination done. Spirometry was done and their TLC,RV, FEV1, FVC, FEV1IFVC ratio and resting pulse oximetry were taken Eighty (80) sickle cell anemia patients in stable state and eighty (80) healthy controls were studied. The meal) age of the SCA patients was 17.35 +/- 3.49 with a range of 12-42 years. The majority comprising 58.8% were in the age group of 12 up t019 years with only 6.2 % being above 30 years of age. The male to female ratio was 1:1. SCA patients had significantly reduced TLC, RV, FEV1 %, FVC% with an increased FEV1 to FVC ratio in keeping with a restrictive defect. The restrictive defect also showed significant negative relationship with number of crises and number of transfusions. SCA patients have predominantly a restrictive pattern of pulmonary dysfunction.