Screening for Sickle Cell Disease: A Hospital Based Study in Eastern Odisha, India

Abstract

The highest frequency of sickle cell gene in India is reported in Odisha. The present study was taken up to assess the presence of sickle cell disease among febrile patients of a medical college of eastern Odisha. Patients referred from both pediatric and medicine department to the Hematology section of the department of Pathology, SCB Medical College, Cuttack were subjected to measurement of RBC indices, Sickling test, Haemoglobin Electrophoresis and Fetal Haemoglobin Estimation. Out of total 1000 referred patients 76(7.6%) were found to be positive for sickling. Twoâ€third of sicklingpositive patients had sickle cell trait with electrophoretic AS band. There was a significant association between age and positive sickling (χ2 = 24.357; df = 4, P = <0.0001). No significant association was observed between sickling and gender. Sickle cell positive cases are not uncommon in eastern Odisha. Our study demonstrated sickle cell trait to be more common among screened patients than other forms of sickle cell diseases.