Background and Objective: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of haemoglobin disorders that occurs due to mutation in beta globin gene of haemoglobin molecule. Vaso-occlusive crisis is most common crisis in SCD Various biochemical changes that occur in sickle cell disease possibly playing roles that in the pathophysiology of the disease. It may be possible that calcium plays a role in pathophysiology and clinical manifestation and skeletal changes invaso-occclusive crisis. So, it is important to study serum calcium in patient of Sickle cell disease during crisis and stable phase.
Methods: By the simple randomized method, 170 children in the age group of 0 to 12 years with sickle cell disease presenting in OPD or IPD of the Department of Pediatrics with symptoms of vaso-occlusive crisis were studied. Amount of blood for sampling were 4 ml for each patients. 2ml of blood sample was collected to estimate serum calcium in vaso-occlusive crisis phase. When symptoms were relieved serum calcium in stable phase was estimated, comparison between to value was done with appropriate statistical test.
Findings: Out of 170 sickle cell disease patients who presented with VOC, majority (56.47%) of them were between 6-12 years of age, most of them presenting with pain in extremitis (58.23%). Mean hemoglobin level during VOC was 7.8712±1.8754gm% Mean serum calcium level during vaso-occlusive phase was found to be 9.31±1.08 and during stable phase it was to be 9.9 ±1.04 (P-Value <0.0001).
Conclusion: Serum calcium is significantly lower in vaso-occlusive state than in stable phase.