A study of thalassemia screening of 1000 medical students and comparison of various screening methods
Journal Title: International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health - Year 2016, Vol 5, Issue 2
Abstract
Background: β-thalassemias are widespread throughout many countries including India. India has 3.5 crores thalassemic carriers with about 10,000 thalassemic birth every year in India. In Gujarat, there are about 6000 thalassemic children. The prevalence of β-thalassemia trait (BTT) is not uncommon in India and its incidence is rising in certain states including Gujarat. Objective: (1) To evaluate the prevalence of BTT among medical students above 18 years in C.U. Shah medical college; (2) To compare specificity of NESTROFT (Naked Eye Single Tube Red Cell Osmotic Fragility Test) with Hb-Electrophoresis lmethod for screening of BTT; (3) To compare specificity of Mentzer’s index with Hb-Electrophoresis method for screening of BTT; (4) To create awareness among medicos about BTT. Materials and Methods: Blood (2 mL) was collected from 1000 medical students; complete blood count (CBC), peripheral smear examination, and NESTROFT were done on all samples. HbA2 levels were measured by fully automated cellulose acetate electrophoresis GENIOS-INTERLAB on suspected samples for BTT on basis of CBC, peripheral smear findings, and NESTROFT. HbA2 levels >3.5 were taken as gold standard for diagnosing BTT. Results: In this study, we found the incidence of BTT being 4.1% (41/1000), that of iron deficiency anemia being 7.3% (73/1000) and that of megaloblastic anemia being 5.4% (54/1000). Three students were found to be sickle cell trait and one to be Hb D. These four cases were confirmed by HPLC at higher center. Conclusion: Prevalence of BTT is high in India and aggressive control measures should be taken to prevent it. Government and NGOs should concentrate attention to educate MEDICOS and public at large. This will decrease financial burden on families of thalassemia major patients and society at large.
Authors and Affiliations
Om Vrajlal Bodarya, Hardik Makwana, Nayana Lakum, Atul Shrivastav, Jayesh Joshi, Ashok Agnihotri
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP143640
- DOI 10.5455/ijmsph.2016.2805201585
- Views 71
- Downloads 0
Study of maternal risk factors for low birth weight neonates: a case–control study
Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is an important indicator of reproductive health and general health status of population. Weight at birth is directly influenced by general level of health status of the mother. The...
Dysmenorrhoea and Premenstrual Syndrome: Frequency and effect on daily activities of adolescent girls in rural areas of Bangalore
Background: There are several problems associated with menstruation. Common problems are dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menstrual irregularities. These problems significantly lower the quality of li...
Screening for risk of diabetes among adult population of Raipur city using Indian diabetic risk score
Background: India is diabetic capital of the world, with maximum number of diabetic patients. There is large burden of undetected diabetic cases in community. There is increasing risk of diabetes in urban population, bec...
Effect of pulsed electromagnetic energy therapy on pain and function in subjects with knee osteoarthritis
Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) of knee is an important cause of pain and functional limitation in older people. Some studies show pulsed electromagnetic energy therapy (PEME) reduces pain and disability. The effi...
Correlation of serum prostate-specific antigen level in various prostate pathology in elderly men
Background: Carcinoma of prostate is one of common tumors of old age in men. With digital rectal examination (DRE) prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a major screening tool for prostate cancer. While Trans Rectal Ultra S...