Comparative Study of Laboratory Diagnosis of Sickle Cell Anaemia Using Point-of-Care Testing, and Haemoglobin Electrophoresis in A Hospital Setting

Background: Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is a hereditary blood disorder characterized by abnormal haemoglobin. Haemoglobin electrophoresis is the gold standard for diagnosing SCA, while SickleSCAN is a novel point-of-care (POC) test offering rapid results. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy of SickleSCAN with haemoglobin electrophoresis in detecting SCA. Objectives: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of SickleSCAN and haemoglobin electrophoresis in diagnosing sickle cell anaemia among patients at Babcock University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A comparative study was conducted between February and March 2024, involving 45 participants diagnosed with different haemoglobin phenotypes. Blood samples were analyzed using both SickleSCAN and haemoglobin electrophoresis. The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS software, employing descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation to determine the sensitivity and specificity of both methods. Results: The study included 45 participants: 21 with normal haemoglobin (HbAA, HbAS, HbAC), 19 with HbSS, and 5 with HbSC. SickleSCAN demonstrated high specificity (>99%) and sensitivity (>99%), closely matching the results obtained through haemoglobin electrophoresis. No false positives or negatives were observed, indicating the reliability of SickleSCAN in diagnosing SCA. Conclusion: SickleSCAN is a reliable and efficient POC test for the diagnosis of SCA, with comparable sensitivity and specificity to haemoglobin electrophoresis. It holds potential as a valuable tool for rapid diagnosis in resource-limited settings.