Background: G6PD deficiency is an X-linked disorder which increases the susceptibility of RBCs to breakdown prematurely. It commonly presents with neonatal jaundice/acute haemolytic anaemia, and is usually triggered by an exogenous agent.
Aims: 1) To evaluate prevalence of G6PD deficiency; 2) To establish an association between G6PD deficiency and RBC parameters.
Materials and Methods: 498 subjects were chosen over two years. Complete blood count, peripheral blood smear and G6PD screening test were performed. Patients with a positive G6PD Screening test underwent the quantitative enzyme test to determine the absolute values of G6PD.
Statistical analysis: The mean of every RBC parameter was calculated for the ‘G6PD deficient population’ and the ‘normal population’. ‘P’ values were calculated using t-test for comparing the means of RBC parameters between the two population; ‘p’ values were also calculated using chi-square test to establish association between G6PD deficiency and RBC cytological parameters.
Results: The prevalence of G6PD deficiency was found to be 2.4%; a statistically significant relationship was found between G6PD deficiency and Haemoglobin, PCV and RBC count; a statistically significant association was also obtained between G6PD deficiency and presence of poikilocytosis, target cells, and normoblast in peripheral blood smear.
Conclusion: G6PD deficiency has low prevalence in southern part of West Bengal including Kolkata. Also, peripheral blood smear can be a useful and cheaper adjunctive tool in screening patients for G6PD deficiency, when the G6PD values are in the normal range.
