Penicillin V prophylaxis uptake among children living with sickle cell disease in a specialist sickle cell clinic in Ghana: A cross‐sectional study

• Published in: Health science reports 2022-11, Vol.5 (6), p.e953-n/a
• Main Authors: Odoom, Samuel F., Newton, Sam K., Nakua, Emmanuel K., Boahen, Kennedy G., Nguah, Samuel B., Ansong, Daniel, Nyanor, Isaac, Amuzu, Evans X., Amanor, Ernest, Osei, Francis A., Mohammed, Aliyu, Mensah, Nicholas K., Martyn‐Dickens, Charles, Osei‐Akoto, Alex, Paintsil, Vivian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Caregivers; Childrens health; Cross-sectional studies; Data collection; Disease prevention; Hospitals; Indicator organisms; Infections; Laboratories; Maternal & child health; Mortality; Outpatient care facilities; Patient compliance; Pediatrics; Penicillin; penicillin V prophylaxis; penicillin V prophylaxis adherence; Sample size; Sickle cell disease; sickle cell disease (SCD); Sickle Pan‐African Research Consortium (SPARCo); Urine; urine assay method
• ISSN: 2398-8835; 2398-8835
• DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.953

Background and Aims Penicillin V prophylaxis protects children living with sickle cell disease (SCD) from bacteria infections especially Streptococcus pneumonia. However, the uptake of penicillin V prophylaxis is difficult to assess and often poor among SCD patients. Therefore, this study sought to investigate oral penicillin V prophylaxis adherence among SCD children using urine assay and self‐reported methods and the associated factors. Methods The study employed an analytical cross‐sectional design in the assessment of penicillin V prophylaxis adherence using both urine assay and self‐reported methods. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with penicillin V prophylaxis adherence. A p value 14 years (aOR = 0.17, CI = 0.05–0.61), SCD patient cared for by married caregivers/parents (aOR = 0.32, CI = 0.14–0.72), SCD patient cared for by divorced caregivers/parents (aOR = 0.23, CI = 0.07–0.75), SCD patients taking homemade (herbal) preparations for the treatment of SCD (aOR = 0.42, CI = 0.21–0.83), and inappropriate intake of penicillin V prophylaxis (aOR = 0.27, CI = 0.11–0.67) reduced the odds of penicillin V adherence. For the subjective method of assessment, taking homemade preparation (herbal) for the treatment of SCD (aOR = 0.52, CI = 0.30–0.89) and inappropriate intake of penicillin V (aOR = 0.32, CI = 0.17–0.60) reduced the odds of penicillin V adherence. Conclusion This study reports a relatively low adherence rate of penicillin V prophylaxis among children living with SCD. Educating and counseling both SCD patients and/or caregivers on the need to be adherent to penicillin V prophylaxis could prevent complications that may arise from nonadherence.