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Indian Journal of Emergency Medicine

Volume  5, Issue 1, Jan-Mar 2019, Pages 9-11
 

Original Article

Screening for Haemoglobin E in the Ethnic Groups of East Sikkim a Hospital based Study

Dey Debomita, Khandelwal Bidita

1Medical Officer, Dolongghat MG Model Hospital, Assam 782103, India. 2Professor & HOD, Department of Medicine, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Sikkim Manipal University, Tadong, Sikkim 737102, India

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21088/ijem.2395.311X.5119.2

Abstract

 Background: Haemoglobin E (HbE) is the commonest haemoglobin variant in South East Asia and second most common globally. In India, high prevalence has been reported from the North eastern states and from Bengal. Data regarding the same from Sikkim is scarce. Methodology: After approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee, a hospital based observational cross sectional study was carried out for a period of two months in the Department of Medicine and Department of Pathology of a tertiary care hospital of East Sikkim, Gangtok. The objective was to screen patients of ethnic groups suspected to have HbE (those presenting with haemoglobin less than 10.5 gm/dl and having Red Cell Diffusion Width more than 15 and Mean corpuscular haemoglobin less than 27 pg). Patients with anaemia due to blood loss or iron deficiency were excluded. Results: Out of 1739 patients screened, 46 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. After obtaining informed consent from the participants, Complete Blood count and electrophoresis was performed in these cases. The mean age was 31.5+3.9 yrs, 26 were females and 20 were males. No case of HbE was detected. Except for the haemoglobin level, all other indices did not show any significant difference between the two sexes. Conclusion: This was a hospital based pilot study and as HbE maybe asymptomatic, cases might have been missed. A larger population based screening is required to know the actual burden of HbE in Sikkim. 


Keywords : Ethnic groups; HbE; Sikkim.
Corresponding Author : Khandelwal Bidita