title: Electocardiographic findings in adult Nigerians with sickle cell anaemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular system abnormalities are common causes of morbidity and mortality in sickle cell anaemia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study aims at determining the pattern of electrocardiographic changes in adult Nigerian sickle cell anaemia patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive cross sectional study was done on sixty sickle cell anaemia patients seen at the adult sickle cell clinic of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, and sixty age and sex matched normal controls. All the subjects had clinical evaluation as well as electrocardiographic examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean heart rate, P-wave duration, P-wave dispersion, PR interval, QRS duration, QRS dispersion, QTc interval and QTc dispersion were significantly higher in the patients than in the control group. Electrocardiographic abnormalities identified by this study were: left ventricular hypertrophy (75%; 1.7%), left atrial enlargement (40%; 0%), biventricular hypertrophy (11%; 0), ST-segment elevation (10%; 0%) and increased P-wave and QTc dispersions. ST segment elevation was found more in patients with moderate and severe anaemia (P= 0.02, Spearman correlation r= 0.342; P= 0.007),
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sickle cell anaemia is associated with significant electrocardiographic abnormalities. Further prospective studies are recommended to evaluate the prognostic significance of the electrocardiographic intervals dispersion on the long term disease outcome in sickle cell anaemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Nigeria. nelifyik@yahoo.com
authors.forename: N I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Oguanobi
authors.forename: B J C
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Onwubere
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Ike
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Anisiuba
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ejim
authors.forename: O G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Ibegbulam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D044383:Black People; D018376:Cardiovascular Abnormalities / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult