TY  - BOOK
AU  - 
AU  - 
AU  - 
TI  - Prevalence And Associated Factors of Ocular Manifestations Among Children with Sickle Cell Disease at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza Tanzania
PY  - 2024///.
CY  - Mwanza, Tanzania |
PB  - Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences [CUHAS-Bugando] |
KW  -  
N2  - 
Abstract:


Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder leading to abnormal red blood cells, often has a significant systemic impact including range of ocular manifestations, which can severely impact vision. In pediatric population these manifestations can prove particularly critical due to potential for lifelong impairment and effect on child's development and quality of life. Despite the global prevalence of SCD that is more prevalent in Sub Saharan Africa, Tanzania holds the top number. Still there is paucity of data related to eye manifestations specifically focusing on pediatric population. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of ocular manifestation and their associated factors in pediatric population attending at Bugando Medical Centre Mwanza, Tanzania.

Methodology: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study involving 305 study participants with sickle cell disease, who attended at pediatric outpatient clinic, aged 2 to 18 years old at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania. Data from enrolled patients were collected by a translated Swahili version questionnaire and a thorough fundoscopic examination was done to evaluate ocular-related manifestations in sickle cell disease patient (SCD) at the ophthalmology clinic as well as spot hemoglobin level were taken. Statistical analysis was done using the STATA version 15.

Results: A total of 305 participants with sickle cell disease were enrolled in this study. The median age was 7.25 years. The majority of participants, 177 (58.03%) were males. The prevalence of ocular manifestations confirmed by fundoscopic examination was found to be 9.5%. Number of sick le cell crises more than two (OR = 8, 95% CI= 2.5-28.1, p-value of ˂0.001) and age more than ten years old (OR=3, 95% CI= 1.5-7.0, p-value of 0.003) were found to associate with the development of ocular manifestations. In this study hemoglobin level of ≥ 9g/dl was found to be protective (OR = 0.7, 95% CI= 0.3-1.7, p-value of 0.437)

Conclusion: The prevalence of ocular manifestations in children with SCD at BMC was 9.5%. Routine ocular screening and establishment of protocols that will facilitate detection of these manifestations in earlier stages are recommended especially among those with more than two sickle cell crises and age more than 10 years old

ER  -