Prevalence of high tricuspid regurgitation jet velocity in patients with sickle cell disease

Asaad Faisal Alkuheli, Basrah Maternity and Children’s Teaching Hospital, Basrah Health Directorate, Basrah, Iraq.Follow
Meaad Kadhum Hassan, Center of Hereditary Blood Diseases, Basrah; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq.Follow
Jawad Atiya, collage of medicine, university of basrah, Iraq.Follow

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Background: Elevated tricuspid regurgitation jet velocity (TRV) is a key indicator of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients, with SCD occurring frequently in both adults and children. Aim: This study aimed to estimate TRV through echocardiography and assess the presence of comorbidities in SCD patients at the Center of Hereditary Blood Diseases. It further aimed to determine the percentage of elevated TRV and its relationship to various SCD-related variables. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted to assess TRV in children and adolescents with SCD registered at the Center of Hereditary Blood Diseases from October 1, 2021 to October 1, 2022. A specialized data collection form was designed to gather socio-demographic and disease-related variables, and echocardiography was performed on all patients. Results: A total of 142 SCD patients were included in the study. Their ages ranged from 10 months to 18 years, with a mean age of 8.48 ± 3.51 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1.36:1. Sickle cell anemia was the most common type of SCD (62.7%), followed by sickle/β-thalassemia. The study found that most patients (74.7%) had normal TRV values (< 250 cm/sec), while 25.3% exhibited elevated TRV (≥ 250 cm/sec), with a total mean of 209.50 ± 44.44 cm/sec. A significant difference was observed in the frequency of PHT symptoms between patients with elevated and normal TRV, with a p-value < 0.001. Conclusion: Elevated TRV is an alarming sign that necessitates early screening for PHT.

Keywords

Pulmonary hypertension, tricuspid regurgitation velocity, Sickle cell disease

Recommended Citation

Alkuheli, Asaad Faisal; Hassan, Meaad Kadhum; and Atiya, Jawad (2025) "Prevalence of high tricuspid regurgitation jet velocity in patients with sickle cell disease," Iraqi National Journal of Medicine: Vol. 7 : Iss. 1 , Article 10.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.37319/