Assessment of Sickle SCAN® Test Performance for Abnormal Haemoglobins Characterisation in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Background: Sickle cell disease is characterised by the presence of haemoglobin (Hb) S, which results from a structural abnormality of haemoglobin.This condition is a public health problem in large parts of the world, such as sub-Saharan Africa.The recent development of rapid detection tests (RDTs), which do not require advanced equipment or electricity, could make screening for this haemoglobinopathy more accessible in these sub-Saharan regions.The aim of our study was to evaluate the performance of the Sickle SCAN test for the rapid detection of haemoglobins A, S and C. Methodology: After obtaining informed consent, blood samples were collected from three hundred patients.These patients came to the clinical biochemistry and haemobiology unit of Pasteur Institute of Cte d'Ivoire, Cocody site, for a biological check-up.We used these samples to screen for sickle cell disease using the Sickle SCAN rapid test and compared the results with those of haemoglobin electrophoresis performed using a Sebia TM Hydrasis machine.We assessed the performance characteristics of Sickle SCAN by evaluating 300 patients, including children and adults, seen at the clinical biochemistry and haemobiology unit of the Pasteur Institute of Cte d'Ivoire for biological checkups.Result: Analysis of performance characteristics including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and overall accuracy showed values of 100% for each parameter.The analysis showed that the Sickle SCAN test was highly consistent with the Sebia TM reference method, with robust results for the detection of the different genotypes.The Kappa coefficient and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve confirmed the validity of the Sickle SCAN test as a reliable tool for rapid screening for sickle cell disease.No significant differences were observed between the results of the Sickle SCAN test (test method) and those of the Sebia TM method (reference method).For the sickle cell disease diagnosis, the Sickle S SCAN test could therefore represent a credible alternative.Conclusion: The study shows that the Sickle SCAN rapid test can be validated as a tool for screening and/or rapid diagnosis of sickle cell disease in our environment.This does not rule out the need for a second confirmatory test.