title: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate during steady state, painful crisis and infection in children with sickle cell disease.
abstract: 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 (> or = 30 mm/hr then > or = 50 mm/hr) were considered to evaluate their specificity and sensitivity for moderate/severe infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, King Khalid Unviersity, PO Box 641, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: F I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Abbag
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Al-Qahtani
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Ghazali
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Abolfotouh
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index