Chronic blood transfusion for primary and secondary stroke prevention in Nigerian children with sickle cell disease: A 5-year appraisal

2013 ◽  
Vol 60 (12) ◽  
pp. 1940-1945 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.A. Lagunju ◽  
B.J. Brown ◽  
O.O. Sodeinde
Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 772-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica L. Hulbert ◽  
Robert C. McKinstry ◽  
JoAnne L. Lacey ◽  
Christopher J. Moran ◽  
Julie A. Panepinto ◽  
...  

Abstract Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and strokes receive blood transfusion therapy for secondary stroke prevention; despite this, approximately 20% experience second overt strokes. Given this rate of second overt strokes and the clinical significance of silent cerebral infarcts, we tested the hypothesis that silent cerebral infarcts occur among children with SCD being transfused for secondary stroke prevention. A prospective cohort enrolled children with SCD and overt strokes at 7 academic centers. Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography of the brain were scheduled approximately every 1 to 2 years; studies were reviewed by a panel of neuroradiologists. Eligibility criteria included regularly scheduled blood transfusion therapy. Forty children were included; mean pretransfusion hemoglobin S concentration was 29%. Progressive cerebral infarcts occurred in 45% (18 of 40 children) while receiving chronic blood transfusion therapy; 7 had second overt strokes and 11 had new silent cerebral infarcts. Worsening cerebral vasculopathy was associated with new cerebral infarction (overt or silent; relative risk = 12.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.65-60.5, P = .001). Children with SCD and overt strokes receiving regular blood transfusion therapy experience silent cerebral infarcts at a higher rate than previously recognized. Additional therapies are needed for secondary stroke prevention in children with SCD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
pp. 73-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shehu U. Abdullahi ◽  
Michael R. DeBaun ◽  
Lori C. Jordan ◽  
Mark Rodeghier ◽  
Najibah A. Galadanci

Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 127 (7) ◽  
pp. 829-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. DeBaun ◽  
Fenella J. Kirkham

Abstract With advances in brain imaging and completion of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for primary and secondary stroke prevention, the natural history of central nervous system (CNS) complications in sickle cell disease (SCD) is evolving. In order of current prevalence, the primary CNS complications include silent cerebral infarcts (39% by 18 years), headache (both acute and chronic: 36% in children with sickle cell anemia [SCA]), ischemic stroke (as low as 1% in children with SCA with effective screening and prophylaxis, but ∼11% in children with SCA without screening), and hemorrhagic stroke in children and adults with SCA (3% and 10%, respectively). In high-income countries, RCTs (Stroke Prevention in Sickle Cell Anemia [STOP], STOP II) have demonstrated that regular blood transfusion therapy (typically monthly) achieves primary stroke prevention in children with SCA and high transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocities; after at least a year, hydroxycarbamide may be substituted (TCD With Transfusions Changing to Hydroxyurea [TWiTCH]). Also in high-income countries, RCTs have demonstrated that regular blood transfusion is the optimal current therapy for secondary prevention of infarcts for children with SCA and strokes (Stroke With Transfusions Changing to Hydroxyurea [SWiTCH]) or silent cerebral infarcts (Silent Infarct Transfusion [SIT] Trial). For adults with SCD, CNS complications continue to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality, with no evidence-based strategy for prevention.


The Physician ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Nadia Ibrahim ◽  
Sabah Mahmood ◽  
Sandra O'Driscoll ◽  
Subarna Chakravorty

Regular transfusions are effective in managing strokes in paediatric sickle cell patients. However, there are associated risks, including alloimmunisation and iron overload. This study evaluated the efficacy of top-up transfusions in primary and secondary stroke prevention in a single tertiary paediatric centre in Central London. Forty-seven children with sickle cell disease who received transfusions in the last decade were included. No patient on a primary stroke prevention transfusion programme had a cerebrovascular event during the study period but 9.5% on secondary stroke prevention programme did. Twenty-one per cent of patients in this cohort converted to exchange transfusions following transfer to adult services, of which 11% had subsequent strokes. Targeted pre-transfusion haemoglobin S % was not always met; 43% of HbS% readings in a 12- month period were above the set target of 30% and 37% were above the set target of 50%. About a third of patients had evidence of severe hepatic iron overload, but no significant cardiac iron. 25% of patients became alloimmunised, but not severe enough to warrant discontinuation of the transfusion programme. Although transfusions are effective for primary stroke prevention, iron overload remains a significant burden.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 4754-4754
Author(s):  
Nadia L Cheek ◽  
Robert L Saylors ◽  
Raghu Ramakrishnaiah ◽  
Suzanne Saccente ◽  
Xinyu Tang ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 4754 Introduction: The current standard of care for secondary stroke prevention in children and young adults with sickle cell disease and cerebral infarction is chronic simple transfusion (ST). Published data indicate that at least 18% of patients treated with chronic ST will experience a second overt infarct and at least 28% will experience additional silent infarcts. Since 1996, we have used chronic erythrocytapheresis (RCE) instead of chronic ST in our hospital to treat all patients with either overt infarction or abnormal transcranial doppler (TCD) with silent infarction. Here we present clinical, radiographic, and laboratory data from this group of patients treated with chronic RCE for secondary stroke prevention. Methods: This was a retrospective study of all patients treated with chronic RCE for either overt infarction or for an abnormal TCD with silent infarction at Arkansas Children's Hospital from 1996 through 2011. We reviewed clinical records and serial MRI/MRA scans and determined the time to progression from the time of the initial diagnosis of an overt or silent infarct to the time of the second overt or silent infarct. Events were classified as overt infarcts if the MRI demonstrated acute cerebral ischemia, based on increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images and restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted images, and abnormal neurologic findings correlated with the abnormalities identified on MRI. Events were classified as silent infarcts if the MRI demonstrated new lesions 3 mm or greater in a single dimension with increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images and there were no corresponding abnormal neurologic findings. We also studied the pre-procedure hemoglobin S concentration (%S), pre-procedure ferritin levels, volume of blood transfused per kilogram, necessity for chelation medication, and presence of end-organ damage. Results: We identified 24 patients, ranging in age from 2 to 18 years at the initiation of chronic RCE, who were treated with 2539 RCE procedures during the study period. These patients were treated with RCE every two to six weeks with the goal of maintaining their pre-RCE %S at less than 30%. Progressive cerebral infarcts occurred in 42% (10 of 24) of the patients while receiving chronic RCE (Figure 1): 3 were overt (13%) and 7 were silent (29%). There were no additional infarcts observed after patients had been on chronic RCE for greater than 5 years. Eight patients (33%) experienced increased vasculopathy and 3 patients (13%) had an improvement in vasculopathy while on therapy. The mean pre-procedure %S concentration was 29%. The mean pre-procedure ferritin was 1188 ng/ml but approximately 60% of the patients had ferritin levels under 1000 ng/ml and only three patients required chelation. Patients received a mean of 45.5 ml/kg of packed red blood cells per procedure. There was no evidence of end-organ damage secondary to iron overload. Discussion: We determined that children with sickle cell disease and cerebral infarction experience additional silent and overt strokes despite intensive treatment with chronic RCE. The proportion of patients developing new overt infarcts in our study (13%) was slightly lower than that in a recent multi-institution study (18%; Hulbert et al, Blood 117:772, 2011) but the proportion of patients developing new silent infarcts in our study (29%) was no different (28%). Although patients receiving RCE have increased blood product utilization as compared with patients receiving ST, only three patients required chelation medication and none experienced end-organ damage secondary to iron overload. We conclude that chronic RCE is no more effective than chronic ST for secondary stroke prevention, that chronic RCE prevents the iron overload and need for chelation that is common with chronic ST, and that other forms of therapy are needed to prevent the progressive accumulation of cerebral infarcts in these patients. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 999-999
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D. Lebensburger ◽  
Christina J. Bemrich-Stolz ◽  
Christoph Griessenauer ◽  
Lee Hilliard ◽  
Thomas H. Howard ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Regular blood transfusion therapy is the standard care for secondary prevention of strokes in sickle cell disease (SCD). Despite regular blood transfusion therapy approximately 45% of the children with strokes will have progressive neurological disease (overt strokes or new silent cerebral infarcts) with an incidence of overt strokes of 3.2 events/100 patient-years (95% confidence interval, 1.3-6.5) (Hulbert, Blood 2011). Limited additional therapeutic options exist for these patients. Encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS) is a neurosurgical procedure to improve cerebral blood flow by transposing scalp arteries onto the surface of the brain. Five previously published series reported a total of 41 EDAS or indirect revascularization procedures on patients with SCD aged 3-22 yrs. Three of 41 patients (7%) had a stroke at 24 hours, 5 days and three weeks following EDAS/indirect revascularization. Additionally, one patient developed TIA 12 months later, two patients developed intracranial hemorrhage, and one patient died from a pulmonary embolus during an episode of acute chest syndrome 48 months post-EDAS. To date, the incidence of complications and efficacy of EDAS procedure in stroke prevention has not been well established. Objectives To examine the incidence of overt stroke pre and post-EDAS for patients on chronic transfusion. Methods We studied a pediatric cohort with history of HbSS and SB0 thalassemia on chronic transfusion for CNS injury who underwent EDAS at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The incidence of overt stroke pre- and post-EDAS was reviewed. All pre-transfusion hemoglobin and percent Hemoglobin S levels were recorded from the time of their first recorded abnormal MRI. To determine the acute complications of EDAS, we reviewed the peri-operative hospital records at the time of EDAS, post-EDAS emergency room visits and chronic transfusion clinic visits post EDAS. Results A total of 13 patients on chronic transfusion for secondary stroke prevention underwent 17 EDAS procedures for recurrent stroke, progressive vascular disease, or neurologic change including psychosis and decline in neuropsychometric scores. The mean time to EDAS was 80 months (median 56) from their first abnormal MRI in the medical records. The patients’ mean pre-transfusion hemoglobin level was 9.4 g/dL and mean HbS was 29.5%. All participants (n=13) maintained a mean pre-transfusion HbS < 40%; 62% (8/13) participants maintained a mean HbS <30% (two patients with elevated HbS were transitioned to hydroxyurea as part of a clinical trial). Prior to EDAS, three patients had a new overt stroke during 81 patient years.(3.7 strokes per 100 pt yrs) One of 17 EDAS procedures was complicated by an acute stroke one month after the procedure. No additional strokes occurred in these patients during 34 patient years.(3 strokes per 100 pt yrs) One child developed a chronic subdural hematoma one month post-EDAS requiring burr hole drainage; this patient had a complete recovery. Conclusion This case series represents the largest cohort of EDAS procedures for children with SCD, and in combination with the literature, suggests that patients with progressive CNS disease may benefit from EDAS. A multicenter retrospective case series should be completed to identify risk factors for progression status post an EDAS procedure followed by a clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of the procedure versus regular blood transfusion therapy. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Najibah A. Galadanci ◽  
Shehu U. Abdullahi ◽  
Musa A. Tabari ◽  
Shehi Abubakar ◽  
Raymond Belonwu ◽  
...  

Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 4927-4927
Author(s):  
Debbie Woods ◽  
Robert J. Hayashi ◽  
Melanie E. Fields ◽  
Monica L. Hulbert

Abstract Background: Children and young adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at high risk of strokes and are frequently treated with red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. RBCs may be given by simple transfusion, manual exchange transfusion (ME), or erythrocytapheresis (ECP) with a goal of suppressing hemoglobin (Hb) S while minimizing transfusion-induced iron overload. There have been no formal comparisons of these modalities, and practices for transfusion management vary among institutions. We compared transfusion therapy outcomes among patients with SCD undergoing transfusion therapy for primary or secondary stroke prevention, hypothesizing that children would be more likely to achieve Hb S suppression and ferritin goals while receiving ECP. We also compared complications of transfusion therapy across transfusion modalities. Methods: This is a single-institution retrospective cohort study of 38 patients with SCD who received chronic transfusion therapy for primary or secondary stroke prevention from 1/1/2008 through 12/31/2012. Per institutional practice, younger patients receive ME for stroke prevention; they are offered ECP when their size is adequate for a large-bore double-lumen implantable port, but may choose to continue ME. The pre-transfusion Hb S goal is <30% for at least 2 years, then may be liberalized to <50% for subjects without either abnormal transcranial Doppler ultrasound or infarct recurrence. Hb S percentage and ferritin were measured prior to each transfusion. Patients on transfusion therapy for 6 or more months were included; one child who had a stroke after brain tumor biopsy was excluded. Subjects were censored at last date of follow-up or date of hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The following factors were evaluated: duration and mode of transfusion therapy, achievement of Hb S suppression goal, ferritin levels, and catheter complications. Categorical variables were compared with Fisher’s exact test and medians with the Mann-Whitney U-test in SPSS version 21 (IBM, Armonk, NY). Results: During the study period, 38 subjects (42% male) met all inclusion criteria. Of these, 5 received exclusively ECP, 17 received exclusively ME, and 16 received both modalities during the study period. For the most recent 12-month period of data for each participant, 13 received ECP and 25 received ME. There was no association between modality of transfusion and the proportion of visits during which subjects achieved their pre-transfusion Hb S goal during the 12-month period. The median proportion of visits achieving the Hb S goal was 0.80 for ECP (IQR 0.40-1.0) versus 0.50 for ME (IQR 0.28-0.90) (p=0.27). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in ferritin concentrations between transfusion modalities: median 875 ng/ml for ECP (IQR 578-2659) versus median 1527 ng/ml for ME (IQR 731-2568) (p=0.56). Children who had ever received ECP had a significantly longer total duration of transfusion therapy (median 97 months, IQR 51.5-134) than those receiving ME only (median 28 months, IQR 12.5-47) (p<0.001). Among 21 subjects who had ever received ECP, 15 (71.4%) experienced one or more catheter complications, including infection, thrombosis, catheter leakage, or venous stenosis, compared with 1/17 subjects (5.8%) who had never received ECP (OR for catheter complications 40 for subjects who had ever received ECP, 95% CI 4.29, 372.4, p <0.001). Five subjects switched from ECP to ME due to stenosis of the great vessels that precluded double-lumen port replacement. Conclusions: Children with SCD receiving ECP and ME for stroke prevention in this cohort had similar achievement of Hb S suppression goals and iron overload management. Additional patient-specific factors may be responsible for variations in pre-transfusion Hb S and ferritin concentrations. Catheter complications were significantly more common in children and adolescents receiving ECP compared with ME, likely due to the large-bore double-lumen port utilized for ECP at our center. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Michael Taylor ◽  
Paul Horn ◽  
Heidi Sucharew ◽  
Todd A Abruzzo ◽  
Jane Khoury

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an important risk factor for stroke in children. Natural history studies demonstrate that greater than 10% of hemoglobin SS patients suffered ischemic stroke prior to age 20 years. In 1998, the Stroke Prevention Trial in Sickle Cell Anemia (STOP) successfully demonstrated the role for routine transfusion therapy in reducing stroke in at risk SCD patients. Fullerton and colleagues then found that first time stroke in SCD decreased in Californian children in the 2 years following STOP. We investigated the stroke rate and health care utilization of children with SCD for two calendar years in the decade following publication of the STOP trial using a national inpatient database. Methods: The 2000 and 2009 Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) were used for analysis. SCD and stroke cases were identified by ICD-9 codes 282.6x, 430, 431, 432.9, 434.X1, 434.9, 435.9. We queried the KID procedural clinical classification software for utilization of services pertinent to SCD and stroke; transfusion, MRI, and cerebral angio. Results: In 2000, SCD was a discharge diagnosis in 34,294 children and 158 (0.46%) children had SCD and stroke. By 2009, discharges with SCD rose to 37,082 children with 212 (0.57%) children carrying both diagnoses. In 2000 and 2009, AIS is the most common stroke type at 83%, males account for 53% of stroke and black race was reported by 92% of SCD and stroke subjects. Procedure utilization is higher in the SCD and stroke population than in SCD without stroke (Figure 1). Blood transfusion is the most common procedure in both study years, significantly higher in stroke subjects. Conclusion: For pediatric inpatients with SCD, blood transfusion and diagnostic cerebrovascular procedures were significantly more common in the cohort with comorbid stroke. In the decade after STOP, children hospitalized with SCD and stroke represented less than 0.6% of the total inpatient SCD population.


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