title: Anaesthesia for peculiar cells--a century of sickle cell disease.
abstract: Sickle cell disease is a congenital haemoglobinopathy with a high incidence of perioperative complications. Traditional anaesthetic management, based largely on extrapolation from biochemical models, has emphasized avoidance of red cell sickling to prevent exacerbations of the disease. This historical review outlines the evolution of the traditional approach to sickle cell pathology, assesses the validity of this model, describes the emergence of the concept of the disease as one defined by chronic inflammatory vascular damage, and outlines the practical implications of this new approach.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics, The John Radcliffe, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK. pgfirth@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Firth
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control