Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have determined that the level, or saturation, of oxygen in blood could be used to identify children with sickle cell anemia who are at an increased risk of stroke.
In a related study, they have also found that a published method used to predict severe complications of the disease may not be adequate.
“Stroke is a serious but increasingly preventable complication of sickle cell disease,” said
Dr. Charles Quinn, assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern and lead author of a study appearing in February's British Journal of Haematology . “Several factors have been identified that increase risk for stroke, but better screening tools are still needed.”