ABSTRACT
Episodes of acute hemolysis may occur as a result of administration of oxidant drugs, acute infection, a metabolic episode, or spontaneously in infancy. Normal red cells show little hemolysis at 48 hr. If hemolysis is measured after addition of glucose or adenosine triphosphate prior to incubation, a reduction in hemolysis is seen with normal red cells. Energy for red cell function is dependent on the glycolytic pathways. Several red cell enzymes which play an active role in glycolysis are critical for red cell function and survival. Denatured globin attaches itself to the membrane of red cell to form Heinz bodies. The activity of the enzyme glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase decreases rapidly with the age of the red cell, being highest in the reticulocyte. The blood smear shows normocytic and normochromic red cells. Blood smear showed normocytic normochromic red cells, moderate polychromasia, moderate anisocytosis, moderate poikilocytosis.
