Sickle Cell Question

[treasurel]

Does anyone know if the RBCs from a blood tranfusion to sickle cell patients start sickling just like the patient's own RBC's once in the bloodstream?

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

No they do not. As you know, red blood cells are made from bone marrow. Some red blood cells are fine while others have a cycle shape. The only cure is a bone marrow transplant. Only in extreme cases will a transfusion be performed.

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

I failed to mention…it’s a hereditary disease. In other words, a person cannot get sickle cell from transfusions. Hence, the red blood cells from the transfusion do not become cyclic as it is a hereditary condition and not contagious.

[treasurel]

Thank you soo much. I have read and read and I was pretty sure that they didn't but my instructor wanted me to find out..not even she knew the answer.

[Clovery]

The life span of an RBC is about 80 to 120 days. The new blood doesn't sickle, the RBCs just die off and are absorbed. That's why transfusions aren't a permanent fix. The life cycle of a sickle cell RBC is much shorter - only 8 to 14 days. So new sickle RBCs are being produced at a faster rate and will eventually dominate over the normal RBCs from a transfusion. Replacing blood serves to fix severe anemia and decrease viscosity of the blood. However you want to keep someone with sickle cell disease anemic, with a Hgb of about 7-9 - trying to increase Hgb will just result in more sickle cells.