Hydroxyurea usage awareness among patients with sickle‐cell disease in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Hydroxyurea (HU) plays an essential role in the complex pathophysiology alteration of sickle‐cell disease (SCD), which translates clinically into the enhanced quality of life and increased survival. This research examines adult patients with SCD's attitudes and awareness toward HU, as well as underutilization consequences. METHOD: A cross‐sectional research was performed in Saudi Arabia, and adult patients with SCD were interviewed. The survey includes patient demographics, attitudes, and knowledge of HU and clinical data. The chi‐square was applied through SPSS version 23 for assessing any association with outcome variables and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: HU is known to 72 (67.3%) of the 107 patients. The hydroxyurea treatment was initiated in 46 patients (63%). Of these, 23 (50%) discontinue HU, with the key factors being pregnancy preparation and side effects development. For those who were unaware of HU, 13 (37.1%) were admitted to the intensive care unit because of acute chest syndrome, 29 (82.8%) required a frequent blood transfusion and 12 (34.2%) with frequent hospitalizations. However, there was no significant relationship between awareness and education level (P value is .078 > .05). In addition, there was no significant relationship between the level of awareness and age and gender of participants (P value is .68 and .44, respectively). CONCLUSION: HU is a long‐established and effective disease‐modifying agent for SCD patients, but it is underutilized. The causality of underuse is bidirectional between patients and healthcare providers. It is essential to educate healthcare providers and patients with SCD about hydroxyurea role in modifying disease severity, resolving adverse events, and achieving full benefits.