Sickle-Cell Anemia Complications

Sickle-cell disease is a blood disorder characterized by red blood cells containing abnormal hemoglobin known as hemoglobin S. There are times when these blood cells change from round to rigid, curved shapes. They resemble a sickle which is where the disease gets its name. These misshaped cells have a hard time passing through blood vessels, which over time results in damaged tissue. Many other complications can occur with this disease.

Pain and Acute Sickle-Cell Crisis

• The pain crisis is the signature mark of this blood disorder. Painful crisis is the most common reason that sickle-cell patients are hospitalized. The pain can last anywhere from 3 to 14 days. Patients describe the pain as an intense, sharp, stabbing pain. The pain has been described as similar to cancer pain. It usually occurs in the lower back, leg, hips, stomach or chest. The pain can occur in two places at once or "jump" around moving to different areas of the body.

  The pain usually happens in the same areas of the body. Certain triggers can bring on a pain crisis. These triggers include extreme physical stress such as overexertion or lifting objects that are too heavy, certain illnesses, high altitudes and extreme temperature changes. Around 50 percent of the time, the cause of a crisis is unknown.

Acute Chest Syndrome

• Acute chest syndrome can develop when a patent's lung tissue goes without oxygen during a crisis. It is extremely painful and dangerous and can lead to death. Symptoms of this condition include a fever of 101.3 degrees or higher, rapid or heavy breathing, wheezing or uncontrolled coughing and acute chest pain.

  The pain can last for several days. Many patients develop severe pain one to two days before experiencing acute chest syndrome. Many times this condition is the result of lung infections caused by viruses, bacteria or a fungus. It can develop into pneumonia.

Infections

• Infections can cause a number of sever complications in sickle-cell patients. Before early screening for sickle cell was instituted, about 35 percent of infants with sickle-cell disease died from infections. Current screening along with antibiotics and vaccinations for babies has reduced this percentage significantly.

  Respiratory infections such as pneumonia, kidney infections and a bone infection known as osteomyelitis are among the many infections that threaten the health of sickle cell patients.

Anemia

• Patients suffer from chronic anemia due to the short lifespan of red-blood cells and the body's inability to replace them quickly enough. As a result, those with sickle-cell disease usually have much lower hemoglobin levels than others. This also means that the heart must pump harder to get oxygen bearing blood through the body. This could lead to an enlarged heart attack or heart failure.

Spleen Damage

• Most adults with sickle-cell disease find their spleens no longer function due to reoccurring problems with receiving oxygen. An injured spleen can increase a patient's risk of an infection known as acute splenic sequestration crisis or enlarged spleen caused by blood trapped inside. If this occurs, the spleen must be removed immediately.

Bones and Joints

• When too much blood is being produced in bone marrow, it causes them to grow abnormally. The result can be excessively long arms and legs or misshaped skulls. When blood cells sickle, they block oxygen from getting to the bones, which can result in bone loss and pain. Oxygen-deprived bone tissue could require removal of dead bones. Some patients require joint-replacement surgery in severe cases.