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Hemolysis (alternative spelling haemolysis) literally means the excessive breakdown of red blood cells. (Hemo brings the meaning of blood; while lysis brings the meaning of breaking)
This is phenomenon usually occurs when red blood cells are in hypertonic cell environment(higher concentration of water molecules) while blood plasma is in hypotonic environment(lower concentration of water molecules). In such condition, osmosis happens where water molecules within red blood cells moves to plasma and causes the shrinkage of blood cells.
Hemolytic anaemia
Anaemia caused by hemolysis in-vivo is called Hemolytic anemia. It has many causes.
Hemolysis due to certain illness
Diabetic patients
Excessive amount of glucose will reduce the concentration of water molecules in blood plasma and causing osmosis to occur.
Hemolysis as artefact
Hemolysis as artefact can be an important unwanted effect in medical tests and can cause inaccurate results. A blood sample may become hemolysed with prolonged storage or storage in incorrect conditions. Hemolysis can also occur at the time of venepuncture, but it is uncommon when the venepuncture is straightforward and the phlebotomist is experienced. Excessive suction can cause the red blood cells to be literally smashed on their way through the needle owing to turbulence and physical forces. Hemolysis can occur when a patient's veins are difficult to find or when they collapse when blood is removed by a syringe or a modern vacuum tube. Hemolysis may cause interference with the test results, but this is mostly limited to biochemistry tests, such as an elevated potassium.
Hemolysis due to mechanical blood processing during surgery
In some operations (ie some heart operations) where huge blood loss is expected, machinary is used for intraoperative blood salvage. During intraoperative blood salvage, hemolysis may occur outside of the body in the machinary. A centrifuge process takes blood from the patient, washes the RBC's with normal saline, and returns them to the patient's blood circulation. Hemolysis may occur, if the centrifuge rotates to quickly (generally more than 500 rpms). Unfortunately, haemolysis occurs with massive amounts of sudden blood loss, because the process of returning patient's cells must be done at a correspondingly higher speed to prevent hypotension, pH imbalance, and a number of other hemodynamic & blood level factors.
Haemolysis in microbiology
hemolysis (microbiology) for the use of hemolysis in microbiology.
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemolysis under GFDL
