Evaluation of complete blood count parameters of children with eisenmenger syndrome

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the complete blood counts (CBC) parameters of children with Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) and compare them with the others, diagnosed as cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease, and with the healthy controls.Material and Method: We prospectively studied 23 patients with ES (group I). 20 healthy children (group II) and 14 patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), 7 acyanotic (group III) and 7 cyanotic (group IV), were also studied as control groups. Complete blood counts for hematologic assesment were performed, and pulse oxygen saturation were measured for all groups. The results were evaluated.Results: Hemoglobin (hb), hematocrit (hct) and red blood cell counts (RBC) were found to be different in groups (p values were 0,001, 0.000, and 0.000, respectively). Hb, hct and RBC values were found to be higher in groups I and IV, than in groups II and III. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were found to be statistically significantly different in groups (p=0.047). Thrombocyte counts were also different in groups (p=0,001), and the lowest thrombocyte values were belong to the group 1. Mean thrombocyte counts were 199 391 +/- 84 652/mm(3) in group 1. Thrombocyte counts of six patients (26%) in group 1 were less than 150000/mm(3), and thrombocyte count of four of these six patients (17%) were less than 100000/mm(3) (29000/mm(3), 94000/mm(3), 66000/mm(3), 79000/mm3). When O-2 saturation and complete blood counts parameters were compared, statistically significant positive correlations between O2 saturation and hb (p=0.004, r=-0.583), O-2 saturation and hct (p=0.002, r=-0.608); O-2 saturation and RBC (p=0.006, r=-0.556); O-2 saturation and RDW (p=0.028, r=-0.458) were found. There were no significant correlation between O-2 saturation and thrombocyte count (p=0.392, r=0.188). Statistically nonsignificant correlations between thrombocyte counts and hb and hct were also found (p values were 0.056 and 0.073 respectively; r values were -0.404 and -0.381, respectively).Conclusion: Complete blood counts should be evaluated carefully in patients with ES and cyanotic CHD, and it should not be forgetten that, the severity of polycythemia is directly related to the degree of hypoxia.