title: Secondary benefit of maintaining normal transcranial Doppler velocities when using hydroxyurea for prevention of severe sickle cell anemia.
abstract: In a retrospective cohort study, we tested the hypothesis that when prescribing hydroxyurea (HU) to children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) to prevent vaso-occlusive events, there will be a secondary benefit of maintaining low transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocity, measured by imaging technique (TCDi). HU was prescribed for 90.9% (110 of 120) of children with SCA ≥5 years of age and followed for a median of 4.4 years, with 70% (n = 77) receiving at least one TCDi evaluation after starting HU. No child prescribed HU had a conditional or abnormal TCDi measurement. HU initiation for disease severity prevention decreases the prevalence of abnormal TCDi velocities.
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Djamila Labib
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Ghafuri
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Shruti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaturvedi
authors.affiliation: Rodeghier Consultants, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodeghier
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt-Meharry Sickle Cell Center for Excellence, Vanderbilt University of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Sarah-Jo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Stimpson
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt-Meharry Sickle Cell Center for Excellence, Vanderbilt University of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Brandi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McClain
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt-Meharry Sickle Cell Center for Excellence, Vanderbilt University of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Jeannie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt-Meharry Sickle Cell Center for Excellence, Vanderbilt University of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: DeBaun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000986:Antisickling Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial
chemical_list: D000986:Antisickling Agents; D006918:Hydroxyurea
keywords: hydroxyurea therapy; red cells; sickle cell disease; transcranial Doppler velocity