What is the overall cost of treatment for sickle cell anaemia in india?

What is Sickle Cell Anaemia?

Sickle cell anaemia is a medical condition where the red blood cells are produced defectively. It is a genetic disorder which is inherited. In a healthy human being, the red blood cells are disc-shaped so that they have increased surface area and the cells can pass through narrow passages easily. But in the case of sickle cell anaemia, the cells are crescent-shaped and this makes them sticky and also reduces the surface area for carrying oxygen. The blood flow is slowed down or stopped and the oxygen content is also reduced.

What are the symptoms observed in a patient with Sickle Cell Anaemia?

A variety of symptoms are seen in patients with sickle cell anaemia. These are mostly related to the destruction of red blood cells and the complications that follow. The following are the common symptoms seen in a patient with sickle cell anaemia:

·  Anaemia: This is a condition where the amount of oxygen transferred to the body cells is reduced due to the rapid destruction of red blood cells. In sickle cell anaemia, the cells are destroyed within 10 to 20 days, whereas in an adult human being the cells are destroyed within 120 days. This leads to tiredness and fatigue.

·  Infections: In sickle cell anaemia, the cells cause damage to the spleen. The spleen is responsible for providing immunity. In a sickle cell anaemia patient, the immune system is relatively low, making them prone to infections.

·  Painful episodes: The sickle-shaped cells obstruct the flow of blood through narrow blood vessels. This can cause serious pain within the body. the pain may last for a few minutes to hours and sometimes, even weeks. The patient may also experience bone pain. The intensity of pain also varies from person to person. In some serious cases of sickle cell anaemia, the patient may even have the need to be hospitalised. The hands and feet also swell up due to this obstruction.

·  Stunted growth: oxygen is vital for the growth of cells. when there is less oxygen as in the case of sickle cell anaemia, there is less growth and this causes a delay in growth.

·  Visual disturbance: The small blood vessels of the retina are clogged by the red blood cells and this leads to visual problems.

What are the treatment options for Sickle Cell Anaemia?

There is no treatment to cure sickle cell anaemia, but many therapeutic treatments are there which help alleviate the symptoms.

·   Pain medications: Depending on the intensity of pain, the doctor can prescribe simple non-steroidal drugs to stronger steroidal pain killers as a part of the treatment.

·   Antibiotics: Patients are given antibiotics as their immunity is naturally low and the risk of infection is high. This treatment is only for prevention of infections.

· Hydroxyurea: Another medicine that is still under clinical research is a  hydroxyurea. This drug is said to stimulate the spleen to release foetal haemoglobin cells which is said to prevent the formation of sickle cells. There are some controversies regarding the use of this drug as it increases the risk of infections.

·  Blood Transfusions: Since there is less amount of functional red blood cells circulating in the body, the amount of oxygen is also less. Regular transfusions can provide temporary relief to the patient but come with many complications like increased risk of infections and iron build-up.

·   Bone Marrow Transplantation: In this treatment, bone marrow stem cells are collected from an appropriate donor, matched with the patient and stored. The patient is then given high doses of chemotherapy so that the stem cells are destroyed. The stem cells are then transplanted to the patient so that healthy cells are produced. This procedure has high risks and is usually considered only in children with severe symptoms.

What is the overall cost of treatment in India?

The cost of treatment for sickle cell anaemia depends on the mode of treatment selected for the patient. If the patient is planning to undergo blood transfusions, the cost of a single transfusion is around ₹500 to ₹900 for one single bag of packed cell unit.

If the patient is considering a stem cell transplantation procedure, the cost of the treatment is much more. The rough estimate of cost for a stem cell transplantation is ₹20 lakh to ₹40 lakh.

Also Read: Can a sickle cell crisis occur in patient with sickle cell trait?

About BloodCancerCure:

BloodCancerCure is world’s first such organization working 24*7 on helping blood cancer patients. BloodCancerCure works for patients across the world by providing the lowest cost for bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and Bone marrow test. You can contact at +91-8448533753 to talk to our experts at BloodCancerCure for BMT treatment in India.

What are the liver function parameters that would be affected by a Sickle Cell Crisis and why?

What is Sickle Cell crisis?

To understand what sickle cell crisis is, one needs to understand what sickle cell anaemia is. Sickle cell anaemia is an inherent form of anaemia which affects the morphology of the red blood cells. In a healthy individual, the red blood cells are disc-shaped and have maximum efficiency for transport of oxygen and passing through narrow pathways. But, in sickle cell anaemia, the red blood cells are crescent-shaped or sickle-shaped and this change in shape causes various effects in the person’s body.

The changed shape of the cells reduces the surface area making it difficult for the transport of oxygen. The cells also break down easily due to haemolysis. The crescent shape of the cells prevents them from easily moving through the blood vessels and may cause obstruction of the blood vessels.  This obstruction leads to a painful condition called sickle cell crisis.

Where is the pain usually felt?

Painful episodes due to sickle cell crisis are seen in many parts of the body. Some of the common regions are:

·         Chest·         Limbs·         Digits (toes and fingers)

Sometimes, the pain may be unbearable and last for over weeks, but sometimes, the pain is mild and disappears in a few hours. Depending on the pain levels, patient is treated.

What happens in Sickle Cell Crisis?

In sickle cell crisis, the sickle celled red blood cells block the narrow blood vessels. The exact mechanism of this procedure is unknown but researchers say that the “sickling” process occurs due to certain triggers. Some of these triggers are reduced oxygen content, sudden strenuous exercise, the sudden change in temperature, dehydration, infections and even stressful conditions. When the blood cells are stuck, they obstruct the flow of blood and this leads to pain.

How is Sickle Cell crisis managed?

The management of sickle cell crisis is dependent on the intensity of pain. If the pain levels are mild to moderate, the patient has advised the use of over-the-counter pain medications. Warm baths, massages and hot packs also provide relief. One must remember to keep hydrated throughout the day.

In case of severe pain, sickle cell crisis can be managed by pain medications prescribed by the doctor. This can be simple non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or stronger steroidal drugs and opioids.

What are the liver function test parameters that are affected in sickle cell crisis?

Liver function test is a test which measures the values of substances commonly found in the liver. An increase or decrease in these levels denotes problems in liver functioning. The functions of the liver are affected in sickle cell crisis because of the condition itself and also the treatment. Sickling within the liver, gallstones and frequent transfusions are some of the main causes of hepatic malfunction.

Sickled cells which lie trapped in the sinusoids of the liver are engulfed by the white blood cells, leading to hepatomegaly, a condition where the size of the liver is increased.

It has been observed that patients with sickle cell anaemia show increased levels of ferritin due to frequent blood transfusions. Many showed elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT).  Alkaline phosphatase levels were also seen to be increased in patients with sickle cell crisis. The bilirubin content was seen to be more than 2mg/dl which is more than the normal levels. Bilirubin is the yellowish pigment seen after a breakdown of red blood cells. All these features were seen to be a result of either sickle cell crisis directly or due to the treatment for sickle cell crisis.

These elevated values of certain substances in the liver, as seen on the liver function test confirm the various complications of sickle cell crisis. One must be aware of these complications so that the serious consequences can be avoided at the earliest.

Also Read: Is there a cure for Sickle Cell Disease?

About BloodCancerCure:

BloodCancerCure is world’s first such organization working 24*7 on helping blood cancer patients. BloodCancerCure works for patients across world by providing the lowest cost for bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and Bone marrow test. You can contact at +91-8448533753 to talk to our experts at BloodCancerCure for BMT treatment in India.

How does Sickle Cell disease affect the Spleen?

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What is Sickle Cell disease?

Sickle cell disease is a condition in which the red blood cells are inherently produced with morphologic deformities. In sickle cell disease, the red blood cells are in the shape of a crescent instead of disk shape. The change in the shape of these cells reduces the surface area and this leads to reduced oxygen transportation. Along with this, the sickled red blood cells also undergo a process called sickling. They form clumps or adhere to the walls of blood vessels and cause obstruction to the blood flow. Due to sickling of cells, there is reduced oxygen flow to the cells and this leads to severe pain in a condition termed as sickle cell crisis.

What are the symptoms of Sickle Cell disease?

Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition. The symptoms are often seen since birth. 

Following are some of the symptoms of sickle cell disease:

·     Anaemia- Due to the destruction of blood cells, and reduced surface area of the cells, there is less oxygen being transported to the body. This condition is called anaemia.

·    Sickle cell crisis: As mentioned above, sickling of cells leads to obstruction of blood vessels which leads to painful episodes. This condition is called Sickle cell crisis. It is most commonly experienced in the limbs and digits and also the chest region.

·   Lowered immunity: The risk of contracting infection is high in patients with sickle cell disease. This is because, the spleen, which is an organ responsible for the immunity of the body is damaged by the sickle cells.

   

   Growth problems: Since the body does not receive enough oxygen, there is deficiency in the growth of the cells. There may even be problems with the development of the individual, both physically and mentally.

·    Problems with vision: The sickling of cells takes place even in the vessels of the retina, leading to vision problems.

How does Sickle Cell disease affect the spleen?

The spleen is an organ which is responsible for the protection of the body and the immune functions.it is located at the upper left side of abdomen and plays a major role in the body’s defence mechanism. In sickle cell disease, the spleen does not function after four to five months of age. This is because the spleen undergoes a phenomenon called splenic sequestration.

What is splenic sequestration?

When sickle cells pass through the blood vessels of the spleen and cause obstruction to the vessels, it is called splenic sequestration. Consequentially, the blood stays within the spleen and the spleen enlarges. The blood count reduces and the patient becomes severely deficient of blood cells. The spleen also enlarges and becomes painful. In most cases of splenic sequestration, the patient’s spleen can be felt.  This condition is also called splenic crisis.

Splenic crisis is seen in patients who have sickle cell disease, right from the age of four months. Splenic sequestration can also occur in patients with thalassemia.

What are the symptoms of splenic sequestration?

The most commonly observed symptoms are:

• ·         Painful and tender spleen
• ·         Enlarged spleen
• ·         Fatigue and weakness
• ·         Irritability
• ·         Paleness due to anaemia
• ·         Reduced immunity
• ·         Not as active as usual

What is the treatment for splenic sequestration?

In splenic sequestration, the child reaches dangerously low levels of haemoglobin and red blood cell count. The spleen enlarges and is painful on palpation. The immediate treatment for splenic sequestration is blood transfusion so that the child is temporarily out of risk. If the enlargement is too much and too frequent, it is advisable to surgically remove the spleen.

Also Read: Can a sickle cell crisis occur in patient with sickle cell trait?

About BloodCancerCure:

BloodCancerCure is world’s first such organization working 24*7 on helping blood cancer patients. BloodCancerCure works for patients across world by providing the lowest cost for bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and Bone marrow test. You can contact at +91-8448533753 to talk to our experts at BloodCancerCure for BMT treatment in India.