Therapeutic phlebotomy during major sickle cell disease in Togo

To determine the influence of therapeutic phlebotomy on the reduction of vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) and of hospital admissions of patients with sickle cell disease and to describe how they experience this practice. Descriptive cross-sectional study of 27 patients with sickle cell disease who underwent phlebotomies. We estimated the number of VOCs, hemoglobin levels, and patient response. Among 27 sickle cell patients (24 SC and 3 SS) who underwent phlebotomies, there were 22 men (81.5 %) men and 5 (18.5 %) women, with an average age of 34.6 ±10.9 years (range: 21-56 years). Before the phlebotomies, 23 (85.2 %) had showed signs of hyperviscosity, they had a mean of 5.3 ± 1.02 (range: 3-8) VOCs annually, and their mean hemoglobin level was 14.3 ±1.5g/dl (range: 10.4 g/dl-16.8 g/dl). The mean number of phlebotomies was 4.9±4.11 (range: 1-13). After this treatment, 21 (91.3 %) reported that their signs of hyperviscosity disappeared, and the mean number of VOCs annually decreased to 0.9 ±0.07 (range: 0-2). The mean change in hemoglobin was 1.9 ±0.8 g/dl (range: 0.9-3.2 g/dl). Nine patients (6SC and 3SS), 7 under anti-anemic treatment, initially refused phlebotomy, mainly because they did not understand how it could be useful to reduce the amount of blood in patients with a potentially anemic disease. Phlebotomy has resulted in a decrease in the frequency of VOCs and hospitalizations. It is essential to further popularize it and increase patients' aware of its value in combatting sickle cell disease and thus improve their willingness for and adherence to this treatment.