ArticleBMC emergency medicine2022
The impact of Hydroxyurea on the rates of Vaso-occlusive crises in patients with sickle cell disease in Saudi Arabia: a single-center study.
Article in BMC emergency medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical, humanistic, and economic burden of sickle cell disease in The Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia.PloS one · 2026Observational
- Epidemiological and clinical profile of sickle cell disease in a series of Moroccan children.Journal of community genetics · 2025Article
- Association of depression and hydroxyurea use with neuropathic pain in hemoglobinopathies.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Computer-aided design process of possible antisickling agents using molecular docking, pharmacokinetic assessment, homology modeling, and molecular dynamic studies targeting Hba protein.In silico pharmacology · 2025Article
- Quality of Life and Out-of-Pocket Expenditures for Sickle Cell Disease Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Single-Center Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Prescribing Hydroxyurea in Sickle Cell Disease Patients: The Pattern and Association with Co-Prescribed Medications Used to Manage the Disease Complications.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) are acute and common painful complication of sickle cell disease (SCD), and are the main reason behind the frequent emergency department visits among SCD patients. Hydroxyurea (HU) is an old and commonly used medication that demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing the risk of VOCs and the incidence of hospitalization. Although multiple studies have examined the impact of HU on the rates of VOCs, few have explored its effectiveness among SCD patients in Saudi Arabia.
methodsThis was a single-center retrospective cohort study in which the electronic medical records of patients with SCD who have not had any previous exposure to HU prior to the initiation of HU treatment for ≥12 months were recruited. Paired t-test was conducted to examine the difference in the rates of VOCs, and levels of hemoglobin (Hgb), hematocrit (HCT), and platelet counts (PLT Ct) prior to the initiation of HU therapy and 12 months later. Multiple linear regression was conducted to examine whether age, gender, use of opioid analgesics, Hgb, HCT, and PLT Ct levels predict higher or lower rates of VOCs.
resultsOne hundred and fifty-six patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. About 51% of the patients were males, and their mean age was 12.69 years. The mean HU dosage was 16.52 mg/kg/day, and the mean reduction in the rate of VOCs was 1.36 events per patient per year (95% CI [1.03-1.70], p < 0.0001) after the initiation of HU. Females were more likely to have greater reduction in the rates of VOCs in comparison to their male counterparts (β-estimate = 12.85, 95% CI [0.759-24.93], p = 0.0374).
conclusionThe use of HU results in a significant reduction in the rates of VOCs and emergency department visits. Future studies with robust research designs should be conducted to further examine the impact of HU on VOCs, hospitalization, and length of stay as well as compare HU to other newly approved medications for SCD, such as crizanlizumab.
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