1 Medical Director, South Brooklyn Health Center, 100 Clinton Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201
In the past few years, there have been several reports implicating sickle cell trait as a probable factor in unexpected death occurring both in military recruits undergoing severe physical stress and in children during anesthesia. The authors of the latter article, McGarry and Duncan, concluded that, "It would be appropriate to advocate screening Negro citizens for the presence of the S hemoglobin at some time during their life, preferably early in childhood. The results of these tests should be known if anesthesia is to be administered."