Citation

Hughes RL, Feig J. Mil. Med. 2015; 180(8): e929-e932.

Affiliation

Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office, 7337 Louis Pasteur Drive, San Antonio, TX 78299.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States)

DOI

10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00707

PMID

26226538

Abstract

Sickle cell trait-related exertional deaths, although rare, are well-accepted in the field of forensic pathology; however, the increased risk of sudden unexpected deaths in persons with sickle cell trait undergoing strenuous physical activity may be an underappreciated acute phenomenon in the clinical realm. Herein, we report two cases of sickle cell trait-related exertional deaths of active duty military members, with a review of the literature including the pathophysiology of sickle cell trait-related deaths and current military screening guidelines.

Language: en