Hemolysis refers to the breakdown of red blood cells.
Red blood cells normally live for 110 - 120 days, then die. When they die, they are broken down. Some diseases and processes cause premature breakdown of red blood cells, leaving an abnormally small amount of red cells available for transporting oxygen. Conditions that can cause hemolysis include antigen-antibody reactions, toxins and poisons, and treatments such as hemodialysis or the use of the heart-lung bypass machine. See also hemolytic anemia.
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