8/10- Sickle Cell Anemia Flashcards
What is this?
Peripheral smear of pt with sickle cell anemia
What are the underlying genetics of sickle cell anemia?
- Base substitution: GAG -> GTG
- Val instead of Glu at B6 position
- Results in HbS hemoglobin (sickle-shaped when deoxygenated)
Why are sickle-shaped RBCs a problem?
Get caught in small capillaries and cause vaso-occlusion
What are some early clinical problems in sickle cell anemia?
- Splenic sequestration
- Splenic infarction (functional asplenia by 3-6 years of age; vulnerable to infection from encapsulated organisms, e.g. pneumococcal sepsis)
- Dactylitis
- Pain episodes
- Stroke
What can be seen on PBS to indicate absence of splenic function?
- Irreversibly sickled cells
- Targets
- Spherocytes
- Howell Jolly bodies (not seen here)
Also
- Normal MCV
- Many reticulocytes
- Sometimes young WBCs
- Nucleated RBCs
What are some physical exam findings indicative of splenic sequestration?
- Irritability
- Unusual sleepiness
- Looks pale
- Weakness
- Fast heart beat
- Big spleen
- Pain on left side of abdomen
What is seen here?
Splenic infarction (also polycystic kidney disease)
What is seen here?
Dactylitis
What is the sequence of events during the evolution of the prodromal phase of the pain crisis?
Tissue necrosis consequent to ischemia elicits an inflammatory response that is associated with an increase in the serum level of acute phase reactants
What is acute chest syndrome?
How may it be prevented? Treated?
- Vaso-occlusive crisis of the pulmonary vasculature commonly seen in patients with sickle cell anemia
- Common cause of death in sickle cell
- May develop on day 3-4 on a pain crisis
Prevention: incentive spirometry
Treatment:
- Antibiotics
- Oxygen
- Blood transfusion (simple in peds vs. exchange)
What is seen here?
CXR before and after transfusion in acute chest syndrome
Flowchart for diagnosis of acute chest syndrome?
What serious complication may occur in SCD?
Epidemiology?
Prevention?
Stroke!
- 24% have stroke by age 45
- Chronic transfusion therapy for primary and secondary stroke prevention
- Can also do transcranial Doppler ultrasound to see speed of blood indicating stenosis (vel > 200 cm/s = 40% risk of stroke in 3 yrs)
Why is RBC lysis bad in the bloostream in regard to released heme?
Released heme scavenges NO in the blood
How do the types of stroke vary by age in pts with SCD?
Young: hemorrhagic
Older: infarctive
Complications of SCD?
- Acute Chest
- Stroke
- Pulmonary HTN
- Bony deformities
- Avascular necrosis
- Ankle ulcers
- Sickle cell retinopathy
What is pulmonary HTN? Diagnosis?
- Tricuspid regurgitant velocity (TRV) > 2.5 m/s (significance uncertain in pediatric pts)
- Increased TRV is a risk factor for early mortality
- Diagnosis: right heart catheterization
What skeletal issue may be observed with SCD? Describe?
Bony deformities
- Increased width between vertebrae???