Assessment of chronic complications and quality of life in sickle cell patients receiving care at three hospitals in Cameroon.
Anne Andong Mbong ;Simeon Pierre Choukem ; Eveline Dongho Ngouadjeu
CaHReF 20116, Yaoundé Conges hall, 23 – 26 August 2016 , PL094
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) a public health priority and has recommended that global management be implemented to reduce mortality, morbidity (chronic complications) and thus improve on quality of life (QOL). Countries such as USA and UK have reduced SCD mortality by implementing those recommendations. Their implementation in African countries like Cameroon has been hindered by lack of information about the burden of the disease.
We aimed to record the chronic complications and estimate the QOL of patients with SCD and find their associated factors.
We carried out a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study in three hospitals. Data was collected using a questionnaire in which information on the yearly frequency of painful crisis, the types of SCD, the prevalence of chronic complications and mean SF-36 scores were recorded, as well as their potential respective associated factors. Data was analysed with STATA® software.
The median age of diagnosis was 4.0(IQR: 2.0-8.0) years and the median number of yearly painful crisis was 3.0 (IQR 1.0-7.0). The chronic complications that had the highest prevalence were; nocturnal enuresis, chronic leg ulcers, osteomyelitis and priapism (30.9%, 24.6%, 19.4%, and 17.4% respectively). The prevalence of stroke and avascular necrosis of the hip were 8.0% and 13.1% respectively. The median physical and mental scores were 47.3 (IQR: 43.9-58.5) and 41.0(IQR: 38.8-44.6) respectively. Late age of diagnosis was found to be a potential risk factor.
The prevalence of chronic complications was high and QOL below normal; and late diagnosis was found to be a potential risk factor. We recommend that national guidelines including a new-born screening program be put in place.
Sickle cell disease, chronic complications, prevalence, quality of life.