title: Clinical and laboratory profile of patients with sickle cell anemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to describe and analyze clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with sickle cell anemia treated at the Hemominas Foundation, in Divinópolis, Brazil. Furthermore, this study aimed to compare the clinical and laboratory outcomes of the group of patients treated with hydroxyurea with those patients that were not treated with hydroxyurea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and laboratorial data were obtained by analyzing medical records of patients with sickle cell anemia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from the medical records of 50 patients were analyzed. Most of the patients were female (56%), aged between 20 and 29 years old. Infections, transfusions, cholecystectomy, splenectomy and systemic arterial hypertension were the most common clinical adverse events of the patients. The most frequent cause of hospitalization was painful crisis. The majority of patients had reduced values of hemoglobin and hematocrit (8.55±1.33g/dL and 25.7±4.4%, respectively) and increased fetal hemoglobin levels (12±7%). None of the clinical variables was statistically significant on comparing the two groups of patients. Among hematological variables only hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were statistically different between patients treated with hydroxyurea and untreated patients (p-value=0.005 and p-value=0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sickle cell anemia requires treatment and follow-up by a multiprofessional team. A current therapeutic option is hydroxyurea. This drug reduces complications and improves laboratorial parameters of patients. In this study, the use of the drug increased the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of patients.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei (UFSJ), Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Phelipe Gabriel Dos Santos
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Sant'Ana
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei (UFSJ), Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ariane Moreira
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei (UFSJ), Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cynthia Teixeira
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei (UFSJ), Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mário Lúcio Pacheco Ker
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei (UFSJ), Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sílvio Pereira Borges
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Junior
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei (UFSJ), Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Viviana Martins
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.affiliation: Fundação Centro de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Estado de Minas Gerais (HEMOMINAS), Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Janaina Sousa
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: Fundação Centro de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Estado de Minas Gerais (HEMOMINAS), Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline de Freitas
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei (UFSJ), Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Danyelle Romana Alves
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Rios
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei (UFSJ), Divinópolis, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: melinapinheiro@ufsj.edu.br.
authors.forename: Melina de Barros
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
keywords: Hemoglobin S; Hydroxyurea; Sickle cell anemia