Sickle Cell Infection

Sickle cell disease (SCD) occurs in 1 out of every 365 African American births compared to 1 out of 16,000 Hispanic-American births (1). SCD is a group of red blood cell disorders in which patients have a sickle or moon-shaped red blood cell due to an abnormal S hemoglobin. While sickle cell disease is relatively rare in American births, this is an alarming statistic among people of Sub-Saharan (west and central) African descent. An interesting fact is that SCD occurs more often among people from parts of the world where malaria is or was common, such as Sub-Saharan Africa (1). In addition, it is believed that people who carry the sickle cell trait are less likely to have

The spleen, acting as a policeman, traps and destroys many of the abnormal sickle cells, resulting in rapid turnover of red blood cells and chronic anemia.

Sickle cell anemia is an anemia that is inherited and mostly affects people whose heritage can be traced back to places where malaria was prevalent. There are approximately 100,000 Americans that have the disease and many more with the trait. Several of my family members are afflicted by this medical condition that causes red blood cells to take on an irregular shape.

Any and all major organs are affected by sickle cell disease. The liver, heart, kidneys, gallbladder, eyes, bones, and joints can suffer damage from the abnormal function of the sickle cells and their inability to flow through the small blood vessels correctly. Problems may include the following:

Sickle cell disease is a chronic condition that a person can inherit from their parents in which it effects the globular structure of the patients red blood cells. A more sickle shaped structure, which can alter a person’s blood flow, replaces the more common globular structure. This impairment in blood flow can lead to blood clots, severe debilitating pain and damage to vital organs such as the liver, kidney and spleen. This disease currently affects over 90,000 people in the United States, with the majority of them being African American and

Sickle cell anemia can cause numerous symptoms, which the severity of this can vary between individuals. Symptoms that might vary from person to person that change over time, include anemia, episodes of pain, frequent infections, delayed growth, vision disorder, acute chest syndrome, and more. Indeed, of each symptom; anemia, sickle cell breaks red blood cell faster and die living people without enough red blood cells. Sickle cell anemia usually dies in 10 to 20 days while normal live for about 120 days before it replaced. Episodes of pain is a major symptom of this disease and the most common reason for people to get hospitalization; Pain develops when sickle-shaped red blood cells block blood flow through tiny blood vessels to the chest,

The term sickle refers to the fact that the red blood cells take on a sickle cell shape, instead of their normal biconcave shape (1). The cells can switch between the sickle shape and their normal biconcave shape (2). Sickled cells lose their pliability making it hard for the red blood cells to move through the smaller blood vessels (1). In their abnormal state they become more likely to adhere to the endothelium of the smaller vessels, causing clots to form and the possibility of stroke (2).

So what exactly is Sickle Cell Anemia? Sickle cell is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells due to the presence of an abnormal form of hemoglobin, namely hemoglobin S. Sickle cell has a lot to do with natural selection and is known as genetic disorder. You may never know who will have it in your family. It will not affect everybody. Sickle cell effect the red blood cells in your body. The red blood cells in your body begin to become deformed. They begin to look, “crescent shaped and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels, which could slow or block blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body.” The cresset shaped is where sickle cell gets its name from. When sickle cell mutates in your body, it begins to effect the muscles and even could possible effect the oxygen flow into your body. When the oxygen is blocked, this causes pain and even harm to your organs and even muscles. When this happen, this effects a person ability to be active. According to web MD, “Severe pain is an emergency called acute sickle cell crisis. A person may not know what brought on the pain, but infection and dehydration are common triggers.”

The three diseases or disorders the spleen may receive are splenomegaly, ruptured spleen, and sickle cell. Splenomegaly, which is the enlarging of the spleen and which is usually caused by virus-related mononucleosis, liver disease, and blood cancers such as, leukemia or even other conditions. Ruptured spleen causes life threatening, perpetual bleeding. It can rupture immediately after an injury or even or even days or weeks after the injury occurred. Sickle cell disease is originally from anemia, which is the abnormality of red cells blocking the flow of blood throw vessels and which may lead to organ damages. If you are anyone with sickle cell you will need to get immunizations, or a vaccine to help prevent illnesses that the spleen is helping to fight off. A treatment available for splenectomy is having the spleen removed by a surgical procedure. During this procedure you may either use laparoscopy, which is when you get several small cuts or, laparotomy when getting one large cut. The human

Pain can develop when sickle shaped red blood cells block blood flow through tiny vessels to your abdomen and chest. Sickle cell can damage your spleen and since red blood cells provide your body with the oxygen and nutrients you need to grow that will be delayed. Your retina in your eyes can be damaged since tiny blood vessels that supply your eyes gets plugged with sickle cells.

Sickle cell anemia is a severe condition in which there aren’t enough healthy, round red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen throughout your body. It is a form of anemia in which a mutated form of hemoglobin--a red protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood of vertebrates--distorts the red blood cells into a crescent shape. This causes low oxygen levels. Normal red blood cells are flexible and round allowing for easy movement throughout your blood vessels. In sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells are rigid and sticky and are shaped like a crescent moon--or a sickle. The effect is the red blood cells get caught in small vessels and block blood from reaching different parts of the body. This can cause pain and tissue damage.

Complications of sickle cell anemia are pain crisis, infection, acute chest syndrome, splenic sequestration, vision loss, leg ulcers, stroke, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Pain crisis is a feeling of pain that can happen all of the sudden with mild to severe intensity and last for a period of time (“Facts About Sickle Cell Disease,” 2016). Serious bacterial infections are potential life threatening due to the damage to the spleen in some people who have sickle cell anemia (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sca/signs). Acute chest syndrome can be life threatening and symptoms included chest pain, coughing, difficulty breathing, and fever. Splenic sequestration is can be life threatening

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an inherited disease of the blood that is characterized by the production of abnormal hemoglobin S causing the cell to acquire a sickle shape that prevents the smooth flow of blood to a major organ (Shea et al. 2017). The stress is usually caused by fever, infection or cold temperature, which lead to sickle cell crisis caused by hypoxia, dehydration, and acidosis (Barranger, 2017).

Sickle cell disease is a hereditary blood disorder caused by an abnormal hemoglobin in the red blood cell. Hemoglobin is a type of protein that carries oxygen in the body. In order for someone to have sickle cell disease they would need to have been passed down from at each one of their parents, by inheriting a total of two hemoglobin genes. The fact that this is a hereditary disease means that it is not considered to be contagious. This disease comes in about six different forms, but the most severe of them all is sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell is an inherited disease that affects the red blood cells causing debilitating symptoms, however, with treatment people with this disease can quite possibly live an otherwise

Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder in which red blood cells take on an abnormal shape. Sickle cell anemia is when the red blood cells hemolyze, or die. Sickle cell disease is inherited from generation to generation and is the most common in inherited blood disorders. An estimated 70,000-100,000 people in America are currently suffering from this disease, most of which are African Americans. One is diagnosed with sickle cell disease in early childhood generally around four months old when the signs and symptoms are presented. Because of its huge impact, the United States requires all newborns to be tested for this disease. [1] Sickle cell disease is known to affect, “approximately 1 in every 400-500 African American