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Emergency Room Visits in Sickle Cell Anemia
Associating lab test results with number of visits
Patients with elevated white blood cell (WBC) counts, elevated platelet counts, and low hemoglobin (Hb) levels exhibited higher risk for frequent emergency department (ED) visits, according to a study of 432 adult patients with sickle cell anemia. Researchers found:
• 192 patients had 0 to 1 ED visits in the year, 144 had 2 to 5 visits, and 96 had > 6 visits, for a total of 2259 visits.
• Those with > 6 visits accounted for 77% of the total visits.
• Each additional 50x109/L platelets was associated with 22% greater risk; each additional 1x109/L of WBC was associated with 11% greater risk; and each additional 1g/dL Hb was associated with 22% lower risk of > 6 ED visits/year.
• No relationships were seen between baseline HbF, lactate dehydrogenase levels, or reticulocyte count with > 6 ED visits.
Citation: Curtis SA, Danda N, Etzion Z, Cohen HW, Billett HH. Elevated steady state WBC and platelet counts are associated with frequent emergency room use in adults with sickle cell anemia. PLoS One. 2015 Aug 6; 10(8) e0133116. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133116.