Anesthesia and Abnormal Hemoglobin

Abstract

Hemoglobin is essential for oxygen carrying by erythrocytes. It influences its shape, size and deformability. There is a large variety of hemoglobin (Hb) variants not all of which is harmful. Disorders of hemoglobin may be hereditary or acquired, which can impair oxygen delivery and oxygen-carrying capacity, shorten cell life span and impede passage through microvasculature. In addition hemolytic anemia and localized tissue ischemia mostly result. Hereditary disorders that result in a structurally abnormal hemoglobin, i.e. hemoglobinopathies or an insufficient quantity of hemoglobin i.e. thalassemia are the most common genetic diseases of humans. Sickle hemoglobinopathies include sickle cell disease, sickle-C disease and sickle-beta thalassemia. Patients with these disorders commonly suffer a multitude of destructive events to vital organs, especially to the central nervous system, spleen, kidney, lung, and heart as a result of microvascular plugging by the sickled erythrocytes.