PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Tim R. Randolph
TI  - Estimated Prevalence of Sickle Cell in Northern Haiti
AID  - 10.29074/ascls.23.2.79
DP  - 2010 Apr 01
TA  - American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
PG  - 79--83
VI  - 23
IP  - 2
4099  - http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/23/2/79.short
4100  - http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/23/2/79.full
SO  - Clin Lab Sci2010 Apr 01; 23
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalence of sickle hemoglobin in northern Haiti.DESIGN: Sickle cell testing occurred from 2002-2009. Blood samples from 1035 subjects were collected for diagnostic purposes, de-identified, and made available for the study.SETTING: Bethesda Medical Center and Eben-Ezer Clinic in northern Haiti.SUBJECTS: Study subjects included prenatal patients, their companions, clinic staff and volunteers. All subjects were Haitian and selected to most closely represent healthy patients present at the clinic. De-identification of the blood samples precluded the need for informed consent.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Each subject was tested for sickle hemoglobin using a standard hemoglobin solubility test and results were recorded as either positive or negative.RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of sickle hemoglobin was 15.1% with a 95% confidence interval of 12.2-18%.CONCLUSIONS: These prevalence rates validate the clinical significance of sickle cell disorder, help guide clinical decisions, and suggest the need to develop intervention programs among the people of northern Haiti.ABBREVIATIONS: SS = Homozygous for the sickle cell gene; AS = Heterozygous for the sickle cell gene; SCD = Sickle cell disease (homozygous); SCT = Sickle cell trait (heterozygous).