Value of Red Cell Distribution Width in Children with Congenital Heart Disease Associated- Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Hassnaa Atef Hassan *
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
Rehab Elmeazawy
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
Hossam Hodeib
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
Doaa El Amrousy
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) commonly occurs as a consequence following untreated congenital heart disease (CHD). It’s often related to high morbidity and mortality rates. The work was aimed at assessing the RDW measurements in children who had PAH-CHD.
Methods: Thirty children who have PAH-CHD took part in this study. Electrocardiography and echocardiographic evaluation were applied to all participants. RDW, a parameter included in complete blood count, was measured.
Results: Our study involved thirty children. Up to 53.3% of them were males, whose age varied between three months and twelve months with median of 5 months. The optimal cutoff RDW measurement reached 17.0% (mean); a significant relation between RDW level and low oxygen saturation was reported (p=0.02), right ventricular fractional area change (p=0.023), and left ventricular ejection fraction (p=0.13).
Conclusion: RDW, a parameter included in the standard complete blood count, showed a sagnificant elevation in children who had PAH-CHD children. In addition, it was significantly correlated with hypoxia and right ventricular fractional area change and left ventricular ejection fraction.
Keywords: Pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease, RDW, Echocardiography