Pulmonary Complications of Sickle Cell Disease: A Narrative Clinical Review

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with vaso-occlusive episodes that affect different organs. Pulmonary involvement is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in this patient population. We performed a literature search in the PubMed database for articles addressing SCD and pulmonary diseases. Acute chest syndrome is defined as a new radiodensity on chest radiograph imaging with a history consistent of the disease. Management includes broad spectrum antibiotics, pain control, and blood transfusions. Microvasculature infarcts lead to functional asplenia, which in turn increases the risk of being infected with encapsulated organisms. Universal vaccinations and antibiotic prophylaxis play a significant role in decreasing mortality from pulmonary infections. Venous thromboembolism in patients with SCD should be treated in the same manner as in the general population. Pulmonary hypertension in patients with SCD also increases mortality. The American Thoracic Society treatment modalities are based on the underlying etiology which is either directed at treating SCD itself, using vasodilator medications if the patient is in group 1, or using long-term anticoagulation if the patient is group 4 (in terms of etiology). Patients with SCD are more likely to suffer from asthma in comparison to controls. Sleep disorders of breathing should be considered in patients with unexplained nocturnal and daytime hypoxemia, or recurrentvaso-occlusive events. Lastly, the utility of pulmonary function tests still needs to be established.