SICKLE CELL SCREEN 0000825

Sickle cell anemia, also called sickle cell disease (SCD), is an inherited disorder that leads to the production of hemoglobin S (Hb S or Hgb S), an abnormal form of hemoglobin (hemoglobin variant).

When the iron-containing protein found inside red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin, a protien responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body, is distorted, then it is unable to carry oxygen molecules properly and changes shape from a nice round disc to a sickled shape which gets stuck in the blood vessles. This leads to symptoms such as pain, weakness, and eventually anemia due to early destruction of these cells. A Blood smear can show these cells.

This is a screening test to determine the presence of sickling hemoglobins, e.g., Hemoglobin S; Hemoglobin C, Harlem; Hemoglobin Georgetown.