A Study on Clinico-haematological Profile of Haemolytic Anaemias in Children

Haemolytic anaemias constitute an important cause of mortality and morbidity in developing countries next only to infection and malnutrition. This group of anaemias have various clinical presentations starting from their age of onset of symptoms, failure to thrive, anaemia, prostration, jaundice, splenomegaly, cholelithiasis, Cardiomegaly, congestive cardiac failure, severe life threatening infections and chronic disabilities leading to distress in their families.

To study the socio-demographic profile among the study subjects. 2. To find the clinical features (signs and symptoms) among the patients attending at Alluri Sita Ramaraju Academy of Medical Sciences, Eluru.

A hospital based cohort study was conducted at Alluri Sita Ramaraju Academy of Medical Sciences during the period of one year eight months from outpatient department of paediatrics. A total of 36 cases of haemolytic anaemia in the age group of 4 months to 12 years were recorded in the present study on the basis of attending regularly for blood transfusions, clinical presumption of haemolytic anaemia in general. Diagnostic criteria was on the basis of clinical presentations, physical findings, routine haematological investigations and haemoglobin electrophoresis pattern in haemoglobin defects were carried out to identify the type of haemolytic anaemias. Details of the cases were recorded in a proforma. Data was entered and then analysed with using Microsoft excel software.

All 36 cases were having diseases affecting haemoglobin molecule which included Sickle cell anaemia-7 cases (19.44%), Sickle cell trait- 1 case (2.77%), Sickle cell/beta thalassemia-12 cases (33.33%), betathalassemia major- 13 cases (36.11%) and beta thalassemia intermedia 1 case (2.77%). Sickle beta thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia combinely constitutes 53% of cases followed by beta thalassemia major. Haemolytic anaemias with enzyme defects and membrane defects were not observed in this study. Majority of these cases presented with progressive pallor and hepato splenomegaly. Peripheral blood smear examination showed microcytic hypochromic anaemia in majority of the cases. All cases were associated with reticulocytosis. Haemoglobin electrophoresis confirmed the diagnosis.

Based on the study results, haemolytic anaemia can be prevented by education, marriage counselling and prenatal diagnosis and simple investigations like haemoglobin electrophoresis will confirm the diagnosis.