Hemoglobinopathies during Severe Anemia in African Pediatric Hospital

The common clinical picture of hemoglobinopathies is chronic hemolytic anemia of varying intensity according to the type of hemoglobin abnormality. It can be decompensated into severe acute anemia during an acute morbid state. Côte d’Ivoire is part of the sicklemic belt. Sickle cell disease is a public health issue.

The general objective was to describe the profile of hemoglobinopathies of children from 6 months to 15 years old in hospital. We conducted a descriptive and analytic cross-sectional study in children aged 6 months to 15 years hospitalized with severe anemia for 8 months in 2016. We conducted a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study on children from 6 months to 15 years hospitalized for severe anemia for 8 months in 2016. The CHI 2 test was used to determine the relationship between the presence of hemoglobinopathy and certain clinical and paraclinical variables. The observed difference was statistically significant when p was <0.05.

The prevalence of hemoglobinopathies was 19.8%. The 3 main types of hemoglobinopathies identified included AC hemoglobin (34.2%), composite heterozygosity S / ß thalassemia or SFA2 (18.4%) and an equal proportion of SS homozygous sickle cell disease (15.8%) and β-Thalassemia minor (15.8%). Severe malaria was diagnosed in 87% of cases and 3 patients had complications related to hemoglobinopathy at admission. Stunting and positive malaria tests were significantly greater in hemoglobinopaths.

The average age of screening was 2.9 years. The top 3 types of hemoglobinopathies identified included hemoglobinosis AC (34.2%), composite heterozygotia S/ß thalassemia or SFA2 (18.4%) and equal proportion SS homozygous sickle cell disease (15.8%) and β-minor thalassemia (15.8%). The prevalence of hemoglobinopathies was 19.8

The interest of the study is screening of carriers early, including neonatal screening or a subsidy for hemoglobin electrophoresis.

Keywords: hemoglobinopathies, severe anemia, child hospitalized, Côte d’Ivoire.