Sickle Cell Crises Flashcards
what are the different sickle cell crises?
- thrombotic/’vaso-occulsive’/’painful crises’
- acute chest syndrome
- anaemic = aplastic, sequestration
- infection
what precipitates thrombotic crisis?
- infection
- dehydration
- deoxygenation (e.g. high altitude)
how are thrombotic crises diagnosed?
clinically
what are thrombotic crises?
infarcts occur in various organs
what is acute chest syndrome?
vaso-occlusion wihtin the pulmonary microvasculature –> infarction in the lung parenchyma
what are the clinical signs of acute chest syndrome?
- dyspnoea
- chest pain
- pulmonary infiltrates on chest x-ray
- low pO2
how is acute chest syndrome managed?
- pain relief
- respiratory support
- antibiotics
- transfusion
why are antibiotics given in acute stress syndrome?
- infection can precipitate syndrome
- clinical findings can be difficult to distinguish from pneumonia
why is a transfusion given in acute chest syndrome?
improves oxygenation
what is aplastic crises?
sudden fall in haemoglobin
what is aplastic crises caused by?
infection with parvovirus
what are the clinical signs of aplastic crisis?
- sudden fall in haemoglobin
- bone marrow suppression –> reduced reticulocyte count
what is sequestration crisis?
sickling within organs such as the spleen or lungs causes pooling of blood with worsening of the anaemia
what are the clinical signs of sequestration crises?
- increased reticulocyte count
