Anemia in patients on chronic hemodialysis in Cameroon: prevalence, characteristics and management in low resources setting.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Anemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease. We investigated the prevalence, characteristics and management of anemia in patients on chronic hemodialysis and assessed the response to blood-transfusion based management in Cameroon.

METHODS:

This was a cohort study of five months' duration (August-December 2008) conducted at the Yaoundé General Hospital's hemodialysis center, involving 95 patients (67 men, 70.5%) on chronic hemodialysis by a native arteriovenous fistula. A monthly evaluation included full blood counts, number of pints of red cell concentrates transfused, and vital status.

RESULTS:

At baseline, 75 (79%) patients had anemia which was microcytic and hypochromic in 32 (43%). Anemia was corrected in 67 (70.5%) patients using blood transfusion only, while 28 (29.5%) patients were receiving erythropoietin (11 regularly, 39%). Only 77.2% of 342 pints (median 3.0, range 0-17 per patients) of red cell concentrates prescribed were effectively received during the follow-up at an unacceptably high cost to patients and families. Mean hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin levels remained stable during follow-up, while mean corpuscular volume increased. Erythropoietin treatment was the main determinant of favorable trajectories of hematological markers.

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients on chronic hemodialysis have predominantly microcytic hypochromic anemia, with limited capacity for correction using blood transfusion.

• Authors: Francois Folefack Kaze, Andre-Pascal Kengne, Alex Tatang Mambap, Marie-Patrice Halle, Dora Mbanya, Gloria Ashuntantang
• Journal: African health sciences (Afr Health Sci) Vol. 15 Issue 1 Pg. 253-60 (Mar 2015) ISSN: 1729-0503 [Electronic] Uganda
• PMID: 25834556 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Hemoglobins

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Anemia, Hypochromic (epidemiology, etiology, therapy)
• Blood Transfusion
• Cameroon (epidemiology)
• Disease Management
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Hemoglobins (metabolism)
• Humans
• Kidney Failure, Chronic (complications, epidemiology, therapy)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prevalence
• Prospective Studies
• Renal Dialysis (adverse effects)
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult