Porphyrias are both inherited and acquired disorders in which the activities of the enzyme of heme biosynthetic pathways are partially or almost totally deficient. This leads to the accumulation of porphyrins and their precursors, which are not only useless but also toxic. Acute attacks in Porphyrias are known to be precipitated by various endogenous or exogenous factors, including medicines and various forms of stress such as menses, intermittent illness, infections, alcoholic excess, and surgery. Abdominal pain is almost always present. In severe cases, the pain mimics an acute surgical abdomen and may lead to inappropriate laparotomy.
As a routine attendee of blood drives as a blood bank MO, I got inclined to analyze this fascinating disorder. 1. A donation of 350/450 ml of blood constitutes a form of temporary physiologic stress. Is this enough to precipitate an acute attack in a…
