Warning Signs Of Acute Chest Syndrome

Acute chest syndrome, a life-threatening complication of sickle cell anemia, is characterized by a range of symptoms that occur when sickle cells clump together inside of the lungs. Sickle cells are only present in the blood of sickle cell anemia patients, so acute chest syndrome only occurs in these individuals. The red blood cells in individuals with sickle cell anemia are irregularly shaped and non-functional. Clumps of these sickle cells that develop in the lungs can cause an obstruction in normal blood flow through the lungs. They also can impair the process of carbon dioxide-oxygen exchange that occurs between the lungs and blood. No single condition causes acute chest syndrome, but certain conditions can trigger it, including pneumonia, asthma, and pulmonary embolism. Acute chest syndrome is diagnosed through the use of a chest x-ray in patients with sickle cell anemia.