Assessment of sickled erythrocyte disease using thermography and energy exchange processes

Thermography for determination of mean weighted skin temperature and physiological energy exchange processes in sickled erythrocyte patients (SS) were studied in order to determine relevance in the management of the disease. The mean skin temperature for SS patients was 35.45 0.402 oC while for non-sickled erythrocyte subjects (AA), it was 35.06 0.128 oC (101.11 % of AA). The mean oxygen consumption rate (VO2) in SS patients (130.99 21.17 ml.s-1) was much higher than AA subjects (50.88 4.69 ml.s-1), (SS mean value was 257.45 % of AA). The mean metabolic energy exchange rate (M) in SS was 2294.87 330.95 Jh-1 while in AA subjects, it was 916.88 111.31 Jh-1 (ie. 250.29 % of AA). The mean evaporative heat loss (E) was 10414.70 116.105 Jh-1 in SS patients and 10566.90 36.45 Jh-1 for AA (98.56 % of AA). The mean convective rate of heat exchange (C) in SS was 11044.60 425.52 Jh-1 while it was 10646.20 134.92 Jh-1 in AA (103.74 % of AA). The radiative rate of heat exchange (Rr) in SS was 199175 11145.10 Jh-1 while it was 134689 3533.54 Jh-1 for AA (147.88 % of AA). The total energy balance (∆H) in SS was 225491 12729.78 Jh-1 while it was 155003 3638.68 Jh-1 for AA (145.48 % of AA). The results showed that sickled erythrocyte patients consume more oxygen and have much higher metabolic, radiative and total energy change rates than the AA subjects.