title: Evaluation of a Portable Haemoglobin Metre Performance in Children with Sickle Cell Disease and Implications for Healthcare in Resource-poor Settings.
abstract: Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest burden and worst outcome of sickle cell disease (SCD). This gloomy outlook has been attributed to the lack of use of simple and cost-effective measures for diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Although haematology analysers are the gold standard for accurate measurement of haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, they are often out of reach of most health facilities in resource-poor settings, thus creating a care gap. We conducted this study to examine the agreement between a point-of-care device and haematology analyser for determining the Hb concentration in children with SCD and its usefulness in resource-poor settings.
  
  
  
  Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid blood samples collected from participants were processed to estimate their Hb concentration using two devices (Sysmex KX21N haematology analyser and portable mission Hb device). The agreement between the two sets of measurements was assessed by the Bland and Altman method.
  
  
  
  The intraclass and concordance correlation coefficients were 0.854 and 0.936, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity were 84.2% and 98.6%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 94.1% and 96.0%, respectively. The Bland and Altman's limit of agreement was -2.3 to 1.6 and the mean difference was -0.34 with non-significant variability between the two measurements (p  =  0.949).
  
  
  
  Hb concentration determined by the portable testing system is comparable with that determined by the haematology analyser. We recommend its use as a point-of-care device for determining Hb concentration of SCD children in resource-poor settings where haematology analysers are not available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, 360101 Nigeria ladeletunya@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Oladele Simeon
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Olatunya
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, 360101 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Adebola
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olu-Taiwo
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, 360101 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ezra Olatunde
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Ogundare
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, 360101 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Isaac Oludare
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Oluwayemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile -Ife, 220105 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Abiola Olukayode
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Olaleye
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, 360101 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Joseph Olusesan
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Fadare
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, 360101 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Tolulope
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adekoya-Benson
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, 360101 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Odunayo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fatunla
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, 360101 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Oyinkansola Tolulope
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Agaja
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, 360101 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Evenly
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Omoniyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, 360101 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Kehinde Sunday
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Oluwadiya
mesh_terms: D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D000067716:Point-of-Care Testing; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012805:Sickle Cell Trait / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis
keywords: anaemia; early diagnosis and treatment; point-of-care devices; resource-poor setting.; sickle cell disease