Sickle cell anaemia: Awareness Among Health Professionals and medical students at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos.

Abstract

Background: Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is a chronic haemolytic disorder caused by homozygous inheritance of abnormal haemoglobin called ‘haemoglobin S’ (HbS). 1The disease burden is enormous to the patient, family and community. One potential weapon in its prevention is health information and awareness among the populace. Objetive: The study is to detrmine the awareness of sickle cell anaemia among health professionals and medical students at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Idi-araba, Lagos. Methods: Part of a large study which was crosssectional and descriptive study, carried out at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), between the months of August and September 2006. Data were collected from 403 health professionals and students using structured questionnaires. Results: Majority (98.7%) of the respondents had heard about SCA. Only 211 (55%) of the respondent felt genotype screening should be done at pre-school age. 128 (33.7%) felt it should be done during childhood. Doctors had a statistically significantly better knowledge of best time for detecting genotype. In all, 85% of the respondents had been involved in the management of sickle cell anaemia with the highest proportion among nurses (p=0.02). Only 93 (24.3%) of the respondents knew most of the complications of sickle cell anaemia, 176(46.3%) knew some of it, while 111 (29.2%) knew only a few complications. Nurses had a statistically significantly poorer knowledge of the complication of sickle cell anaemia. More nurses felt that engagement should be ended if there was a risk of having a child with sickle cell anaemia. Conclusion: Continuing medical education for health professionals about sickle cell anaemia, its management and complication is necessary.

Keywords: sickle cell anaemia, premarital screening for haemoglobin genotype.