Original Research Article
Year: 2021 | Month: October | Volume: 11 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 348-352
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20211045
Lung Function Tests in Children with and without Sickle Cell Anaemia at South Western Nigerian Tertiary Hospitals
Onigbinde Michael Olaniyan1, Oninla Samuel Olorunyomi1
1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Corresponding Author: Oninla Samuel Olorunyomi
ABSTRACT
Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in Nigerian children. Sickle cell haemoglobin disorder and carrier state have incidence at birth in Nigeria of about 2% and 25% respectively. The Chronic anaemia and recurrent vaso-occlusion in this disease condition can lead to impairment of function of body organs or systems. The knowledge on how SCA affects the lung and pulmonary tissue function in Nigerian children is inadequate.
Aims: To compare lung function tests results of apparently healthy sickle cell anaemia patients recruited from tertiary hospitals in South West Nigeria with those of apparently healthy controls.
Method: A comparative cross sectional study of children attending the Sickle Cell anaemia clinics of Wesley Guild Hospital, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital was done. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical review boards of the different hospitals where the studies were conducted. Randomly selected consenting matched apparently well children and children with Sickle cell anaemia had their weights, height and Packed cell volume on the days of their clinics. In addition the Forced Expiratory Volume at one second, Forced Vital capacity and Peak expiratory flow rates were measured and recorded. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS 12 version.
Results: The total of 74 HBSS patients studied comprised of 35(43.7%) boys and 39 (52.7%) girls, giving a male to female ratio of 1: 1.1, while the 73 apparently healthy controls were made up of 39(53.4%) boys and 34(46.6%) girls, giving a male to female ratio of 1.2 : 1.0. The mean weight and BMI of the children with SCA were 24.9 ± 8.0kg and 14.4 ± 1.8m2 compared with 29.4 ± 2.9kg and 15.4 ± 1.8m2 in the apparently healthy controls. Higher values of weight and BMI in healthy controls than in the SCA subjects and statistically significant p< 0.05. The mean values of the FEV1 , FVC, PEFR and FEV percent were 1.54 ±0.51, 1.76 ± 0.45, 271.37 ± 72.20 and 87.5 ± 4.43 respectively in children with SCA as against 1.83 ± 0.61, 2.03 ± 0.65, 296.44±75.0 and 90.2 ± 5.76 respectively in the healthy controls. Higher lung function tests are statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Children with Sickle Cell anaemia have significantly lower anthropometric measurement and lung function test values (FEV1, FVC, & PEFR) than controls. The lower lung function test values in the sickle cell anaemia patients may be as a result of the lower anthropometric measurements. Further studies need to be conducted find out why the lung function tests are lower in children with sickle cell anaemia preferably after eliminating cofounders such as anthropometry.
Key words: Lung Function Tests, Sickle Cell Anaemia, Children.