How sickle cell crisis stymied modern medicine for 100 years, whilst a solution was hidden in plain sight: A hypothesis

Sota Omoigui

doi:10.51496/jogm.v5.137

Authors

Sota Omoigui Division of Inflammation and Pain Medicine, L.A. Pain Clinic, Hawthorne, CA, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8657-9740

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51496/jogm.v5.137

Keywords:

Sickle Cell Disease, Sickle Cell Crisis, Hypoxia, Oxygen, Golden half-hour

Abstract

Reversible sickle cells (RSCs) can become irreversible sickle cells (ISCs) after repeated episodes of sickling. The RSCs can revert to their original flexible discoid shape when reoxygenated; however, repeated sickling can damage the cell membrane, making it impossible for the cells to return to their standard shape and resulting in ISCs. Home oxygen therapy during the critical first half-hour after the onset of a crisis restores RSCs. It prevents them from progressing to a critical mass of ISCs, where the sickle cell crisis becomes established and intractable. Developing a medication to prevent and stop a sickle cell crisis within the golden half hour has been very difficult. The efficacy of oxygen therapy in preventing and aborting a crisis in the golden half hour is very promising. When you stop the crisis, you prevent severe pain, emergency care, hospitalisation and multi-organ damage. It would reduce the complications, disability and mortality rates linked to this chronic condition.

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