Oxyhemoglobin Saturation in Sickle Cell Anaemic Children (Steady State) Using Pulse Oxymetry In Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria

Comparing the oxyhemoglobin saturation in stable sickle cell anaemic children with those of healthy Hemoglobin AA controls in Jos. A review of 141 cases and 141 controls was undertaken. Hypoxemia is a common event in SCA and has been associated with sickling, cellular damage, reduced longevity. The causes of hypoxaemia include infections, dehydration, cold and high altitude (these are peculiar features of Jos, a town in Nigeria). Hence the avoidance or detection and correction of hypoxaemia are of major importance in the management of SCA. The study was carried out with the aim of assessing the difference in oxyhemoglobin saturation between healthy SCA and Hemoglobin AA children in Jos using pulse oximetry and also the relevance in clinical practice of routinely monitoring oxyhemoglobin saturation in healthy SCA children in the clinic, Descriptive study. The cases were recruited from the sickle cell clinic at the Jos University Teaching Hospital while the Controls were age and sex matched non-sickle cell volunteers in the surrounding communities in Jos town. Oxygen saturation was determined using pulse oxymetry. Anthropometry was also done. Prevalence of hypoxemia (PO2<95%) was 51% in the cases and 16% in the controls (p<0.0005). Mean oxyhemoglobin saturation in the cases was 93.5%±5.4 and that for the controls was 96.5%±5.3 (p<0.0005). Mode of oxygen saturation for both cases and controls was 98%. The mean oxygen saturation was lowest among the school and the preschool age groups in the SCA and control groups respectively and lower in the older age groups than in the younger age groups. The SCA boys generally had the lowest mean oxygen saturation (92.68%). Their nutritional status had no significant effect on their oxygen saturation (p-values 0.28). The mean oxyhemoglobin saturation in stable SCA children was significantly low. This was particularly true for the boys in the school age group. Hence there is need to routinely monitor the oxyhemoglobin saturation of stable SCA patients, in the clinic, paying closer attention to the school age boys, in order to improve the morbidity and mortality rates in SCA children.