Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion as a Potential Marker of Hospital Utilization in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Objective: Pulmonary Artery Hypertension (PAH) is an independent risk factor for increased morbidity in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients. Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (TAPSE) can be used as a surrogate measure for PAH. The objective of this study was to determine whether lower TAPSE values are associated with increased Emergency Department (ED) and hospital utilization. Methods: TAPSE measurements were retrospectively obtained from bedside echocardiograms from a convenience sample of 28 SCD patients presenting to the ED with SCD pain. TAPSE was considered abnormal if <24.9mm, one standard deviation below the mean TAPSE for SCD patients. Medical records were reviewed to determine ED visits and hospital overnight stays over a two-year period. A t-test analysis and Pearson’s correlation were used for each variable. Results: The initial sample included 28 SCD patient encounters. TAPSE measurements were abnormal in 5 patients and normal in 23 patients. The mean number of ED visits/year for the abnormal and normal TAPSE group were 23.00 and 16.87, respectively (p=0.57) with moderate negative linearity (p=0.03). The mean number of hospitalized days for abnormal and normal TAPSE groups was 108.8 and 59.6, respectively (p=0.10) with moderate negative linearity (p=0.07). Conclusion: Lower TAPSE values (<24.9mm) in SCD patients were associated with higher ED and hospital utilization. If findings are replicated in larger studies, TAPSE may serve as a marker of morbidity in SCD patients presenting to the ED.