Author(s)

Paulin Mulowayi^1,2*, Berry Bongenya^3,4, Ben Bulanda^3,4, Elvis Kateba⁴, Steve Kodondi^1,2, Christian Vangu^1,2, Blezz Nkolomoni^1,2, Erick N. Kamangu^4,5*

¹Institute for Research in Health Sciences, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
²Centre for Mixed Medicine and SS Anemia, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
³Faculty of Medicine, Bel Campus Technological University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
⁴“Focus HIV/AIDS” Research Group, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
⁵Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: Sickle cell disease is an autosomal recessive genetic disease characterized by a point mutation. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, approximately 40,000 newborns are born with sickle cell disease. Objective: The objective of the study is to determine the predominant reasons for consultation of sickle cell patients at the Center of Mixed Medicine and SS Anemia (CMMASS) in Kinshasa. Methods: This study was conducted at CMMASS. It is a retrospective study carried out on the files of elderly sickle cell patients who came for consultation in the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020. Any well-kept file of sickle cell patients over the age of 18 with a documented electrophoresis result having consulted during the study period was considered for work. The parameters of interest in this work were the different reasons for consultation. Results: 2463 SS homozygous sickle cell patients had been seen in consultation at the CMMASS. 1350 patients (54.8%) were women; thus giving a sex ratio of 1.21 in favor of women. The most represented age group is that of 18 to 25 years with 1148 patients (46.6%). The most common reasons for consultation in the series were osteoarticular pain (61.75%), fever (24.48%), pallor (12.59%), headache (7.8%), and cough (2.56%). Conclusion: Bone and joint pain was the most dominant reason for consultation among homozygous sickle cell patients at the CMMASS during the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020.

Sickle Cell Patients, Consultation, CMASS, Kinshasa

Mulowayi, P., Bongenya, B., Bulanda, B., Kateba, E., Kodondi, S., Vangu, C., Nkolomoni, B. and Kamangu, E.N. (2022) Reasons for Consultation of Sickle Cell Patients at the Center for Mixed Medicine and SS Anemia. Open Access Library Journal, 9, 1-7. doi: 10.4236/oalibj.2022.99132.