[Analysis of hospitalization of adult sickle-cell patients in Guadeloupe].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the characteristics of acute hospitalizations in adult patient with sickle-cell disease in Guadeloupe.


METHODS
We retrospectively studied clinical features of adult patients followed up by the "Centre Caribeen de la Drépanocytose" (CCD) in 1996. Data were collected from the medical records of the hospitalized patients and the longitudinal records of the CCD.


RESULTS
Sixty-three (25%) of the 251 patients who were followed up by the CCD required hospitalization in 87 cases (1.38 hospitalizations/patient). Mean age of the hospitalized patients was 27.5 years (range 17 to 71 years). Most hospitalizations involved men (29 [31%] vs 34 [22%] for women, P < 0.05), and most were for homozygous patients with sickle-cell anemia: 39 (31%) SS, 19 (18.55%) SC and five (21.75%) S beta thal. A painful vaso-occlusive crisis was noted in 67 episodes. There were nine acute chest syndromes (ACS), six of them occurred following a vaso-occlusive crisis. We noted 39 infectious episodes. The increase in C-reactive protein (> 100 mg/L) was associated with ACS or urinary infection. A patient with renal failure died during septicemia.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms the need for prevention of painful crises and other severe complications in patients with sickle-cell disease.
Le Turdu-Chicot
C
C
Centre caribéen de la drépanocytose Guy-Mérault, CHU de Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, France.
Foucan
L
L
Etienne-Julan
M
M
Leborgne-Samuel
Y
Y
Fanhan
R
R
Berchel
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D019430:Guadeloupe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology
D002097:C-Reactive Protein