This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Mahony, B. S. Articles by Githens, J. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mahony, B. S. Articles by Githens, J. H. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Sickling Crises and Altitude

Occurrence in the Colorado Patient Population

Colorado Sickle Cell Treatment and Rciearch Center and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado

John H. Githens

Colorado Sickle Cell Treatment and Rciearch Center and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado

Seventy-five black patients with sickle hemoglobinopathies who are fol lowed by the Colorado Sickle Cell Treatment and Research Center, and 172 of their family members were evaluated by retrospective interview for the occurrence of sickling crises when traveling in the Rocky Mountains or by aircraft. Twenty per cent of 39 patients with sickle cell anemia (Hgb SS) and 28.6 per cent of 21 with sickle/hemoglobih C disease or sickle/thalassemia (Hgbs S/C and S/T) have developed crises when traveling in the mountains above 2000 m. Vaso-occlusive crises predominated in the SS group and splenic crises occurred primarily in those with Hgbs S/C and S/T. Approximately 20 per cent of those with S/C and S/T, but none with SS, had crises when flying in pressurized aircraft. Among 103 family members with sickle cell trait (Hgb AS), no significant risk of developing crises could be identified with either mountain or pressurized aircraft travel.

Clinical Pediatrics, Vol. 18, No. 7, 431-435 (1979)
DOI: 10.1177/000992287901800711


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C Bossley and I M Balfour-Lynn Taking young children on aeroplanes: what are the risks? Arch. Dis. Child., June 1, 2008; 93(6): 528 - 533. [Full Text] [PDF]

				Sicklers Survive in Permanent Residence at Moderately High Altitude Clinical Pediatrics, June 1, 1990; 29(6): 353 - 353. [PDF]

				P. A. Lane and J. H. Githens Splenic Syndrome at Mountain Altitudes in Sickle Cell Trait: Its Occurrence in Nonblack Persons JAMA, April 19, 1985; 253(15): 2251 - 2254. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. Andrews and G. R. Buchanan Mild Splenic Sequestration Crises in Sickle-Hemoglobin C Disease Clinical Pediatrics, June 1, 1984; 23(6): 354 - 355. [Abstract] [PDF]