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Sickle cell disease (SCD), also simply called sickle cell, is a group of hemoglobin-related blood disorders that are typically inherited. [2] The most common type is known as sickle cell anemia. [2] Sickle cell anemia results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red blood cells. [2]
Treatment will depend on the cause of the normocytic anemia. Treatment for anemia due to chronic diseases, such as kidney disease, focus on healing the primary condition first. Dietary foods or supplements should be added if anemia is due to a lack of a particular vitamin. Erythropoietin may be considered if anemia is severe. Erythropoietin ...
Individuals with TEC have a median age of presentation of 18–26 months; however, the disorder may occur in infants younger than 6 months and in children as old as age 10 years. Because of the gradual onset of the anemia, children are often healthier than expected from their low hemoglobin levels.
In children and adults red blood cell transfusion to increase the hemoglobin level to 100 g/L has been shown to decrease the risk of sickle cell-related complications. [2] However, this has not been seen in all studies, and has only been demonstrated for African haplotypes of Hemoglobin SS. [12] [13]
A vaso-occlusive crisis is a common painful complication of sickle cell anemia in adolescents and adults. [1] [2] It is a form of sickle cell crisis.Sickle cell anemia – most common in those of African, Hispanic, and Mediterranean origin – leads to sickle cell crisis when the circulation of blood vessels is obstructed by sickled red blood cells, causing ischemic injuries.
It is possible for a person to have both the gene for hemoglobin S (the form associated with sickle cell anemia) and the gene for hemoglobin C; this state is called hemoglobin SC disease, and is generally more severe than hemoglobin C disease, but milder than sickle cell anemia. [2]
Sickle-cell disease and the associated trait are most prevalent in Africa and Central America, which is attributed to natural selection: the sickle-cell trait confers a survival advantage in areas with a high occurrence of malaria, which has a high death rate among individuals without the trait.
Hydroxycarbamide, also known as hydroxyurea, is an antimetabolite medication used in sickle-cell disease, essential thrombocythemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, polycythemia vera, and cervical cancer. [4] [5] In sickle-cell disease it increases fetal hemoglobin and decreases the number of attacks. [4] It is taken by mouth. [4]