Title: Sickle Cell Disease- Acute Presentations, Deadly Effects<br/>Author: Jon Mark Hirshon<br/><a href='http://umem.org/profiles/faculty/96/'>[Click to email author]</a><hr/><p>
        Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a hemoglobinopathy that is considered a relatively rare disease in the United States, affecting about 90,000-100,000 individuals.</p>
<p>
        Globally, SCD affects millions, primarily in West and Central Africa.</p>
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         </p>
<p>
        Acute presentations of SCD include:</p>
<ul>
        <li>
                Acute Pain (Sickle Cell or Vaso-occlusive) Crisis
                <ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
                        <li>
                                Most common presentation in emergency departments</li>
                </ul>
        </li>
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                Severe Anemia
                <ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
                        <li>
                                Splenic sequestration crisis</li>
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                                Aplastic crisis</li>
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                                Hemolytic crisis</li>
                </ul>
        </li>
        <li>
                Infections
                <ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
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                                Particularly from encapsulated organisms because of a damaged spleen (functional asplenia)</li>
                </ul>
        </li>
        <li>
                Acute Chest Syndrome
                <ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
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                                From damaged lung tissues leading to hypoxia</li>
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                                A leading cause of death for patients SCD</li>
                </ul>
        </li>
        <li>
                Stroke</li>
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                Priapism</li>
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                Other organ dysfunction including kidney failure and eye problems (retinopathy)</li>
</ul>
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        The bottom line: </p>
<ul>
        <li>
                <strong>Sickle Cell Disease is a serious, painful and potentially life threatening disease that can cause major damage to multiple organ systems.</strong></li>
</ul>
<fieldset><legend>References</legend>

                <p>
         </p>
<p>
        <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html">http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html</a></p>
<p>
        <a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sca/signs">http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sca/signs</a></p>
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        http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/205926-clinical</p>
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