Open AccessAwareness of Retinopathy among Sickle Cell Patients
Author(s) -
Shahad Alruwaili,
Yasser Aleliwi,
Shahd Al Mahfud,
Mohammed Alshehri,
Hamad Al Ghathber,
Abdullah Alamri
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of pharmaceutical research international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2456-9119
DOI - 10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i28b31540
Subject(s) - medicine , retinopathy , disease , pediatrics , hemoglobinopathy , complication , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology
Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a haemoglobinopathy that is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Retinopathy is a complication of SCD, which varies from mild peripheral retinopathy to severe proliferative retinopathy that can cause loss of vision.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2020 to January 2021 aiming to determine the knowledge of retinopathy among patients with sickle cell disease using a validated self-administered questionnaire.
Result: A total of 166 respondents completed the questionnaire. Females constituted the majority of participants (62.7%). The age group 31–40 years consitituted 28.3% and were associated with higher knowledge scores. The average knowledge score was also significantly higher in respondents from the Eastern region (B = 1.82, P < 0.05) compared to respondents from Riyadh. The main reason for not having an eye check was the perceived lack of importance of visits among 56.8%.
Conclusion: Sickle cell disease patients are prone to complications such as retinopathy which can be detected by frequent follow-up. Almost half of the studied sample showed above average knowledge of retinopathies related to sickle cell disease.