Among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), pulmonary complications are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Due to the prevalence of SCD among individuals of African descent, research has primarily focused on how SCD impacts Black Americans, medically and socioeconomically. This study shines a light on SCD in Hispanic Americans.
This retrospective study included 566 patients with SCD. The data were taken from the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, New York. Pulmonary disease burden and management were analyzed for Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients. The researchers also compared the contribution of demographic variables, acute chest syndrome, vaso-occlusive crises, and hospitalizations for SCD.
They found that Hispanic patients exhibited greater proportions of acute chest syndrome, and lower forced expiratory volume, forced vital capacity, and vital capacity than their non-Hispanic counterparts. They were also more likely to be evaluated and treated for pulmonary conditions and SCD [1].
Source:
[1] Chen, L., Gong, J., Matta, E., Morrone, K., Manwani, D., Rastogi, D., & De, A. (2020). Pulmonary disease burden in Hispanic and non‐Hispanic children with sickle cell disease. Pediatric Pulmonology, 55(8), 2064–2073. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.24883