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Frequent and prolonged hospitalizations: A risk factor for early mortality in sickle cell disease patients
Author(s) -
HoustonYu Patricia,
Rana Sohail R.,
Beyer Betsy,
Castro Oswaldo
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.10305
Subject(s) - medicine , disease , risk factor , psychosocial , pediatrics , psychiatry
A subset of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) has frequent and prolonged hospitalizations. Clinical outcomes for this subset of patients are not known. We analyzed mortality data in 71 such patients enrolled in a case management study. Adult patients (mean age 32 years) with SCD and ≥50 hospitalization days/year or ≥6 admissions/year were enrolled. Clinical and psychosocial data were obtained. During a mean 24‐month follow up, 11 of 71 patients died (15.5%). Patients who died had a higher mean number of hospitalization days in the year before study entry (116 vs. 40, P < 0.8) and were also more depressed than those who survived (mean score 17.8 vs. 11.9, P = 0.031). Frequent and prolonged hospitalizations are a risk factor for early mortality in patients with SCD. Am. J. Hematol. 72:201–203, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.