Question

6. Explain how sickled red blood cells could cause each of the following: a. A painful sickle-cell crisis b. Severe anemia c. Heart failure

Answer 1

a) In a severe attack by sickled RBC's, known as sickle cell crisis, can cause pain because blood vessels can become blocked or the defective red blood cells can damage organs in the body.

b) In sickle-cell disease,the abnormal hemoglobin causes distorted (sickled) red blood cells. The sickled red blood cells are fragile and prone to rupture. When the number of red blood cells decreases from rupture (hemolysis), anemia is the result. This condition is referred to as sickle cell anemia.

c)  Sickle cell anaemia patients with pulmonary hypertension (PAH) have a higher incidence of Sudden death than those with normal pulmonary pressures. In many patients, PAH occurs in association with elevated pulmonary arterial wedge pressures and normal pulmonary arterial resistance, suggesting that the PAH develops as the result of left ventricular (LV) abnormalities. Furthermore, in other conditions in which PAH develops, Sudden death occurs only at pressures considerably higher than those observed in Sickle cell anaemia.