PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Yousef F. Ahmed
AU  - Fuad I. Abbag
AU  - Jobran M. Al-Qahtani
AU  - Bothanina M. Ghazali
AU  - Mostafa A. Abolfotouh
TI  - Erythrocyte sedimentation rate during steady state, painful crisis and infection in children with sickle cell disease
DP  - 2000 May 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 461--463
VI  - 21
IP  - 5
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/21/5/461.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/21/5/461.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2000 May 01; 21
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate in children with sickle cell disease.METHODS: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate was performed in 95 children with sickle cell disease during the period from December 1992 to June 1999. Patients were classified into 4 groups. Patients in the steady state (group 1), painful crisis (group 2), mild infection (group 3) and moderate/severe infection (group 4). Comparison between the groups was performed using ANOVA and ANCOVA.RESULTS: There were 55 males (58%) and 40 females (42%) with a mean age of 79.1 months. The mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate values for the various groups were as follows: Group 1 (n=10); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 5 mm/hr (+/-4.6) and was significantly the lowest (p<0.05), group 2 (n=44); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 25.8 mm/hr (+/-16.3), group 3 (n=18); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 28.1 mm/hr (+/-25.8), while group 4 (n=23); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 99.2 mm/hr (+/-33.5) and was significantly the highest (p<0.05). Two cut-off values for the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (>/- 30 mm/hr then >/- 50 mm/hr) were considered to evaluate their specificity and sensitivity for moderate/severe infection.CONCLUSION: Although the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is low in sickle cell disease, it does increase during painful crisis and infection and it is a useful indicator of moderate/severe infection.