Research Article Open Access

Packed Cell Volume, Reticulocyte Count and Index among Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in Sokoto, North Western, Nigeria

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health problem which can progress to end stage renal failure. This study was carried out to investigate the Packed Cell Volume (PCV), reticulocyte count and reticulocyte index in patients with CKD in Sokoto, North Western, Nigeria. The PCV, reticulocyte count and reticulocyte index of 96 subjects made up of 60 male (62.5%) and 36 females (37.5%), aged 22-60 years and mean age of 34.6 ± 12.8 with pre-dialysis CKD in Sokoto were studied. Forty six age and gender matched healthy non-renal individuals were monitored as controls. The PCV was determined using the Hawksley microhaematocrit centrifuge (Hawksley, UK) while the reticulocyte count was carried out manually using a supravital stain (New Methylene Blue). The mean PCV, reticulocyte and reticulocyte index among the CKD patients were; 33.32 ± 7.97, 3.85 ± 1.18 and 2.82 ± 0.95 compared to 35.11 ± 5.14, 4.03 ± 0.78 and 3.17 ± 0.74 respectively. The differences between the PCV, reticulocyte count and reticulocyte index of subjects and controls was statistically significant (p= 0.001 and 0.010 and 0.033 respectively). There was no statistically significant differences in the PCV, reticulocyte count and reticulocyte index based on the gender of subjects (p= 0.970, 0.66 and 0.73) respectively. Haematocrit correlated inversely with the duration of kidney disease (r = -0.35, p= 0.05). The PCV, reticulocyte and reticulocyte index was significantly lower among subjects with long standing history and severity of the kidney disease. In this present study, we have observed that severe anaemia associated with a low PCV, reticulocyte count and reticulocyte index is a common feature among patients with CKD in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria. The PCV, reticulocyte count and reticulocyte index seems to worsen with increasing severity of kidney disease. There is need for the provision of erythropoietin for the evidenced-based management of anaemia in renal patients in Nigeria. There is need for the regular monitoring of the biological indices, including PCV, reticulocyte and reticulocyte index in renal patients in Sokoto in particular and Nigeria in general.

Abdulrahaman Y, Uko EK, Osaro Erhabor, Isaac IZ, Bello Zahrau, and Liman HM

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