Word parts
What it means
Red blood cells burst or are destroyed early. Inside the body this can come from a transfusion with the wrong blood type, some infections, inherited conditions such as sickle cell disease, autoimmune disease, some drugs and mechanical heart valves. It leads to anemiauh-NEE-mee-uhA lower than normal number of red blood cells or amount of hemoglobin in the blood.a- without, lacking-emia blood conditionFull entry and a rise in bilirubinbil-ih-ROO-binA yellow pigment made when old red blood cells break down, which the liver clears into bile.Full entry . A blood sample can also hemolyze in the tube from rough handling, which falsely raises the potassium result.
For the nurse
During a transfusion, watch for fever, chills, back pain, dark urine or low blood pressure; stop the transfusion and report at once. Draw blood gently with the right needle size so the sample does not hemolyze.
At a glance
| Spanish | hemólisis |
|---|---|
| Also written | hemolytic, hemolyzed |
Easy to confuse with
hemostasis
The stopping of bleeding, either by the body's own clotting process or by medical or surgical methods.
Related terms
anemia
A lower than normal number of red blood cells or amount of hemoglobin in the blood.
blood transfusion
Giving blood, or a part of blood, from a donor into a person's vein.
jaundice
Yellow color of the skin, the whites of the eyes and other tissues from too much bilirubin in the blood.
red blood cell
A blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues; also called an erythrocyte.
bilirubin
A yellow pigment made when old red blood cells break down, which the liver clears into bile.