Foundation:

sickle cell disease is the most common hemolytic anemia in Cuba and in the world, which is why it is considered a health problem in many countries.

Objective:

to characterize all pediatric patients with sickle cell anemia at the beginning of their disease.

Method:

a descriptive study was conducted in which the universe was constituted by all the patients attended in the hematology clinic of the Pediatric University Hospital Paquito González of Cienfuegos. The data were obtained from the clinical histories and micro-histories filed in the department of statistics and the Hematology Service. The variables studied were: prenatal diagnosis, municipality of origin, sex, age at diagnosis, reason for diagnosis, presence of viscero-megaly, hemoglobin and reticulocyte count.

Results:

a total of 25 patients were studied, 60 % of them with hemoglobin SS, 20 % with hemoglobin S / B thalassemia and SC respectively. Only 28 % had a prenatal diagnosis. 52 % were diagnosed between 6 months and 2 years, female sex predominated. At 48 % the reason for diagnosis was skin-mucous pallor, 44 % presented hemoglobin figures between 60-80 g/ l.

Conclusions:

the clinical and / or laboratory characteristics of the patients were similar to that described by other authors at diagnosis. There is a low number of patients with prenatal diagnosis.

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