HEMOLYSIS

Hemolysis - the destruction of red blood cells, accompanied by the release of hemoglobin. In this case, blood or a suspension of red blood cells turns into a transparent red liquid (lacquer blood). The causes of hemolysis may be anomalies of the erythrocytes themselves or the influence of external factors (serum antibodies, damage to erythrocytes, infectious agents). The physical factors that cause hemolysis include the effect of high and low temperatures, ultrasound, to chemical - hemolytic poisons, certain medications, etc. Hemolysis can occur with transfusion of incompatible blood, administration of hypotonic solutions, as a result of hereditary deficiency of enzyme systems of erythrocytes, due to formation Autoantibodies directed against erythrocyte antigens, and with the use of certain drugs (antibiotics, quinine, isoniazid, dopegit, etc.).

Hemolysis can occur in the blood (intravascular hemolysis) and in the organs (intracellular hemolysis). Normally, intracellular hemolysis is observed, with a part of the erythrocytes being destroyed daily, mainly in the bone marrow and spleen, and the released hemoglobin turns into bilirubin. With increased hemolysis, the formation of bilirubin increases and its release from bile, as well as the release of urobilin, stercobilin and other urobilinoids with feces and urine; Jaundice and splenomegaly are often observed clinically. If hemoglobin is released much during intrasusual hemolysis, and the haptoglobin system does not cope with its processing, hemoglobinemia and hemosiderinemia, sometimes hemoglobinuria, occur. Intravascular hemolysis can be accompanied by fever, chills, tachycardia, back pain. The immediate consequence of hemolysis is hemolytic anemia, which can be combined with a change in the number of leukocytes, platelets, the formation of thrombi in the vascular bed, the development of cholelithiasis. A sharp increase in the degree of hemolysis (hemolytic crisis) usually leads to the development of anemia or its deepening.