Nasal inspiratory peak flow in sicke cell disease

Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most frequent hereditary hemoglobinopathies and it has multisystemic effects. One of these commonly found effects is the upper airway obstruction, especially the adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH). Aims: To measure the peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) of children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia. Methods: This was a cross-sectionalstudy conductedin the city ofBelo Horizonte, state ofMinas Gerais, Brazil. The work was conducted betweenthe months ofMarch 2013 andMarch 2014 and it includedchildren and adolescents aged8-15yearswith a diagnosis ofSCD. PNIF measurements and oxygensaturationwereobtained from patients. Results: 94 patients with a mean age of 11.4 years participated in the study. 34.6% of the females had values PNIF below the minimum expected value, while 28.2% of males had values bellow the expected lower limit. The prevalence of nocturnal of enuresis was 26.7% and oxygen saturation below 95% was found in 57% of participants. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated a high prevalence of reduced values of PNIF in individuals of sickle cell disease and can certainly be incorporated into routine clinical assessment of patients as a screening instrument. Key words: sickle cell disease, upper airway obstruction, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, peak nasal inspiratory flow, hypoxemia.