Authors: Cheucheu NJ, Ouattara Y, Ouffouet YGK, Diabate Z, Kouassi FX, Sanogo I.
Introduction: Due to the blindness risk from sickle cell retinopathy, regular ophthalmological monitoring of sickle cell patients is required. The aim of this study was to contribute to a better understanding of the determinants of the adhesion of SCD patients to ophthalmologic disease surveillance.
Results: Of 186 patients in total, 123 were women (Ì´ 2 women/1 man) aged from 15 to 65 years (mean 31.5 years). The average age of diagnosis of sickle cell anemia was 17.88 years and the first monitoring ophthalmologic consultation was held on average at 22.5 years. Only 26 patients (13.98%) had a satisfactory score, regarding the level of knowledge about sickle cell disease and its ocular complications. The age group of 30 to 44 years had the highest score. The medium score was statistically linked to genotype as SS patients had the highest score while AS patients had the lowest score. Of 110 patients who had received at least one consultation in ophthalmology, only 60 had conducted it as part of the ophthalmologic monitoring of sickle cell disease. 49 of 60 patients said they had spent more than 2 years without ophthalmologic consultation surveillance. Of 186 patients, 33 (17.74%) had spoken about the sickle cell disease eye complications with their hematologists and only 13 (7%) had done the same with their ophthalmologists.
Conclusion: Inadequate communication between caregivers and patients is a cause of health’s miseducation thereof resulting in poor adhesion to the ophthalmologic monitoring of sickle cell disease.
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