Sickle Cell Anemia: From Basic Science to Clinical Practice

A sickle cell disease is a group of blood disorders that a person inherits from parents. They usually occur when the person inherits two abnormal copies of the hemoglobin gene. Sickle cell anemia is the most common type of sickle cell disease. It causes an abnormality in hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein found in red blood cells. The problems due to sickle cell anemia begin to appear around 5 to 6 months of age. It leads to problems such as sickle cell crisis, swelling in hands and feet, stroke and bacterial infections. The care of people suffering from sickle cell anemia includes infection prevention with vaccination and antibiotics, folic acid supplementation and pain medication. A bone marrow transplant is also used in certain cases. This book consists of contributions made by international experts. It contains some path-breaking studies in sickle cell anemia. It will serve as a valuable source of reference for graduate and post graduate students.