Sk. Syed et al., CASE-REPORTS - DELAYED HEMOLYTIC TRANSFUSION REACTION IN SICKLE-CELL DISEASE, The American journal of the medical sciences, 312(4), 1996, pp. 175-181
This article reports the details of delayed hemolytic transfusion reac
tions in four patients with sickle cell disease. These cases demonstra
te the characteristics of the reactions, the significant risks involve
d, and the principles useful in diagnosis and treatment. Patients with
sickle cell disease are at particular risk for delayed hemolytic tran
sfusion reactions because they may be transfused at intervals over man
y years; they frequently form alloantibodies because of antigenic diff
erences from the donor population; and they may receive emergency care
in different hospitals where transfusion records are not available, I
n addition, exchange transfusions, which are often used for patients w
ith sickle cell disease and which were given in three of these cases,
raise the risks through increased exposure to foreign erythrocyte anti
gens and through an increased volume of erythrocytes susceptible to he
molysis, It was concluded that the hazards of these transfusion reacti
ons justify preventive measures, such as extended erythrocyte phenotyp
ing of patients with sickle cell disease and extended phenotypic match
ing of transfused cells.