title: The painful crisis of homozygous sickle cell disease. A study of the risk factors.
abstract: Some epidemiologic features of the painful crisis in homozygous sickle cell disease were examined in a retrospective study of 995 painful crises. Previously reported associations with cold weather and pregnancy were confirmed. There was a striking increase in painful crises in male patients between the ages of 15 and 25 years, whereas female patients showed little age-related change. The frequency of painful crises correlated positively with hemoglobin levels and reticulocyte counts in both sexes and negatively with mean corpuscular volume in female patients. There was a striking increase in painful crises in male patients with hemoglobin levels above 8.5 g/dL (greater than 85 g/L). High hemoglobin levels appear to be an important risk factor for painful crises.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006451:Hemoglobin, Sickle / Q000032:analysis; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000097:blood; D012156:Reticulocytes; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D006451:Hemoglobin, Sickle