Clinical picture and correlates for sickle cell anaemia among Zambian children attending Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital Sickle Cell Disease clinic in Zambia

Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) leads to high rates of morbidity and eventually death in persons aged 20-29 years. The objective of the study was to establish the clinical picture and correlates for SCA among Zambian children attending Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital Sickle Cell Disease clinic in Zambia. All 320 records were reviewed. The proportion of patients with SCA attending a sickle cell disease clinic was 43.4%. Difficulty in breathing (64.5%), sore throat (64.5%), fever (62.9%), swollen/painful limbs/joints (46.8%), dizziness (35.5%) and jaundice (35.5%) were the most common signs and symptoms for SCA. Only age was significantly associated with SCA. Children aged less than one year were less likely to have SCA compared to children aged 10 years or older. Sickle cell anaemia manifests later in life. There is need for implementation of programmes that will diagnose the condition much earlier in life so that interventions directed at the commonest causes of medical admission are started early.