Anaesthesia and Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

A review of adult patients with Haemoglobinopathy who had anaesthesia and surgery at the University College Hospital, Ibadan over a three year period was carried out. The 53 patients constituted 1.2% of all surgical cases operated. Two thirds of the patients were ASA II with the rest being ASA III and ASA IV.


The steady state PCV of all patients ranged from 22% to 31% with a mean of 26.4% and general anaesthesia was administered in 83% of the patients while the others had their operations under regional blocks. Peri-operative course was satisfactory in all but two patients (3.8%) who were admitted in the Intensive Care Unit for close observation because of excessive oozing from operation site. Adequate post-operative care including hydration, analgesia, warmth, and blood transfusion when appropriate, ensured minimal post operative morbidity.


These observations emphasize the fact that surgical patients with sickle cell disease do have satisfactory outcome when meticulous attention is paid to details of their peri-operative care.

Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine Vol. 9, No. 1 (1999) pp. 21-23