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LETTERS: Jane Logan Haemoglobinopathy screening can be carried out in general practice BMJ 2000; 320: 1542 [Full text]

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We do it all the time

Luís Gomes   (3 June 2000)

Re: We do it all the time

Joseph Watine   (9 June 2000)

We do it all the time 3 June 2000
Luís Gomes Algarve-Portugal Send response to journal: Re: We do it all the time	We are trying, in Portugal, to carry on an hemoglobinopathy screening for some years, now. GPs ask for a blood test; the blood is sent to the regional health authority lab. Responses come in about two months... As "mediterraneans", in Algarve we have a lot of Beta-talassemia minor. That's why we are looking for it in pregnant women, young couples, suspected patients, patients relatives and african people.
Re: We do it all the time 9 June 2000
Joseph Watine, praticien hospitalier Hôpital de Rodez, France Send response to journal: Re: Re: We do it all the time	Screening for thalassemia could easily and usefully be extented to some other at-risk groups of patients, using routine blood cell counts. Indeed, in patients with low MCV (mean corpuscular volume), several indexes can easily be calculated, ENGLAND index for example (= MCV - (5 x Hb) - red cells - 3,4), where Hb is the blood hemoglobin concentration]. If the ENGLAND index is below –3, in a patient with a low MCV, then a screening test for thalassemia can be recommended. In our laboratory medicine department, this is what we do, and this is how we regularly help in diagnosing thalassemic patients. Joseph WATINE, Laboratoire de biologie polyvalente, Centre Hospitalier Général, F-12027 Rodez Cédex 09, France Email: j.watine@ch-rodez.fr