When sickle cell trait meets high-altitude

Volume 6, Issue 5, October 2021     |     PP. 290-292      |     PDF (288 K)    |     Pub. Date: August 15, 2021
DOI: 10.54647/cm32559    65 Downloads     2419 Views  

Author(s)

Sun Yong Lee, San Joaquin General Hospital, Internal medicine
Amandeep S Gill, San Joaquin General Hospital, Hematology & Oncology

Abstract
Approximately 300 milion people worldwide have sickle cell trait and it is considered as a benign carrier state with relative protection to malaria. Despite of occasional reports, sickle cell trait can be associated with significant life-threatening coditions under certain situations such as hypoxia, dehydration, and strenuous physical exercise. Splenic infarct is one of the clinical complication from increasing red blood cell sickling and polymerization under low oxygen tension at high altitudes. It is crucial to be aware of the possible clinical complications with sickle cell trait and management to prevent morbidity and mortality.

Keywords
Sickle cell trait; splenic infarct; high altitude

Cite this paper
Sun Yong Lee, Amandeep S Gill, When sickle cell trait meets high-altitude , SCIREA Journal of Clinical Medicine. Volume 6, Issue 5, October 2021 | PP. 290-292. 10.54647/cm32559

References

[ 1 ] Complications associated with sickle cell trait: a brief narrative review, Geoffrey Tsaras, Amma Owusu-Ansah, Freda Owusua Boateng, Yaw Amoateng-Adjepong, Am J Med. 2009 Jun; 122(6): 507-12. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2008.12.020. Epub 2009 Apr 24.
[ 2 ] Acute splenic infarction in a hiker with previously unrecognised sickle cell trait, Monica Gupta, S S Lehl, Kamal Singh, Ram Singh, BMJ Case Rep. 2013 Apr 29; 2013: bcr2013008931. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2013-008931.