Background: Children affected with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk for severe morbidity and mortality, especially during the first 3-5 years of life. It is suggested that early treatment can improve the condition. The aim of this pilot study was to estimate the incidence of hemoglobin S (HbS) by umbilical cord blood screening in Khorramshahr and Abadan cities in southwest of Ira...

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular system abnormalities are common causes of morbidity and mortality in sickle cell anaemia. OBJECTIVES The study aims at determining the pattern of electrocardiographic changes in adult Nigerian sickle cell anaemia patients. METHODS A descriptive cross sectional study was done on sixty sickle cell anaemia patients seen at the adult sickle cell clinic of University of...

OBJECTIVES To explore the relationship between executive function (EF) and social skills in youth with sickle cell disease (SCD).  METHODS  20 youth with SCD completed objective tests of EF (Tasks of Executive Control; Animal Sorting subtest from the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment-Second Edition), an IQ screener, and paper-and-pencil measures of social skills (Social Skills Impro...

Pulmonary complications account for significant morbidity and mortality in patients with sickle cell disease. Clinical lung involvement manifests in two major forms: the acute chest syndrome and sickle cell chronic lung disease. Acute chest syndrome is characterised by fever, chest pain, and appearance of a new infiltrate on chest radiograph. Sickle cell chronic lung disease, on the other hand,...

Among adults with sickle cell disease (SCD), pulmonary complications are a leading cause of death. Yet, the natural history of lung function in adults with SCD is not well established. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults with SCD who had repeated pulmonary function tests performed over 20 years of age. Ninety-two adults were included in this cohort. Rate of decline in FEV(1) for...

Platelet function was measured on 29 occasions in 16 adult patients in the asymptomatic steady state of sickle-cell anaemia. There was a significant increase in platelet number and micro-aggregate formation, and a lower aggregation threshold with adenosine diphosphate, compared with 23 healthy controls. Similar changes were found, however, in 12 splenectomised patients without sickle-cell disea...

Recurrent acute chest syndrome (ACS) has been suggested as a risk factor for chronic lung dysfunction in sickle cell disease. To investigate this hypothesis, lung function tests were performed in 49 sickle cell disease outpatients whose condition was stable, including 23 patients with a history of two to four episodes of ACS (ACS+) and 26 with no history of ACS (ACS-). The two groups were compa...