Sickle cell trait frequencies in blood donors and its effect among recepients in Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

Sickle cell trait blood can cause complications in transfused patients.
Objective: This study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of sickle cell trait among the blood donors and its impact in transfused patients in Bungoma County.
Design: A cross sectional study targeting healthy blood donors and patients transfused with sickle cell trait blood in Bungoma County from January 2019 to January 2020.
Participants: A total of 350 blood donors and 10 patients transfused with sickle cell trait blood were enrolled.
Results: The sickle cell trait prevalence amongst the blood donor population in Bungoma County was deduced to be 14.28 %.White, red blood cell counts, haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin and mean cell haemoglobin concentration parameters were not affected in patients transfused with sickle cell trait blood ( p = 0.466, 0.980, 0.787, 0.886, 0.971, 0.476 and 0.524).Also, liver function tests in the same patients was not affected ( p= 0.2193, 0.4678, 0.3052 and 0.7263) respectively for Alanine, Aspartate, Direct and Total Bilirubin levels respectively.
Conclusion: There were no clinical abnormalities in patients transfused with sickle cell trait, however it was observed that acquired haemoglobin AS (Sickle cell trait) was detected among the transfused population.