Medical Health Encyclopedia

Osmotic fragility

How the test will feel:

When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.

Why the test is performed:

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This test is performed to detect hereditary spherocytosis and thalassemia.

Hereditary spherocytosis is a relatively common disorder characterized by red blood cells that are intrinsically defective because of their sphere-like shape. These cells have increased osmotic fragility -- they are more fragile than normal.

In thalassemia, some red blood cells are more fragile than normal, but a larger fraction are less fragile than normal.

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