Final answer:
Adolescents with sickle cell anemia may experience chronic vaso-occlusive phenomena leading to manifestations such as painful episodes, delayed growth and development, fatigue, jaundice, and frequent infections due to the obstruction of capillaries by the sickle-shaped red blood cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
An adolescent with sickle cell anemia may experience various manifestations as a result of chronic vaso-occlusive phenomena. The vaso-occlusive crises, characteristic of sickle cell anemia, occur when the abnormally shaped, sickle or crescent-like red blood cells obstruct capillaries and restrict blood flow. This leads to the following manifestations:
- Painful episodes: These occur due to blocked blood flow and the resulting tissue ischemia and inflammation.
- Delayed growth and development: As a consequence of chronic anemia and reduced oxygen delivery to tissues, growth may be impaired.
- Fatigue: Caused by anemia and the body's increased work to compensate for the reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
- Jaundice: Due to the breakdown of red blood cells, bilirubin levels in the blood rise, leading to jaundice.
- Frequent infections: Spleen dysfunction, from recurrent vascular occlusions, diminishes the ability to fight infections.