Sickle Cell Disease

Patients with sickle cell anemia may face cardiovascular complications that can lead to increased mortality. Identifying risk factors early could help address these complications.  Sickle cell anemia is a common inherited blood disorder characterized by abnormal hemoglobin. Although treatment advances have reduced the overall morbidity and mortality of affected patients, mortality rates are still high...

Children with sickle cell disease who are underweight are at an increased risk of death in low-resource settings. The weight-for-age z-score can be used to screen for at-risk children over 5 years of age with sickle cell anemia.  Children with sickle cell anemia and undernutrition, especially children aged between 5 and 12 years, may be...

Children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia are not getting appropriate transcranial Doppler screening and treatment with hydroxyurea, although overall screening and treatments have increased over the past decade. Healthcare providers should seek to improve their screening and treatment strategies to address these disparities.  Sickle cell anemia is a blood disorder that commonly affects African...

As additional treatments for painful crises in juvenile sickle cell disease, vitamin D and omega-3 could result in overall cost savings and therapeutic benefits. Painful crises are the most prevalent complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). Omega-3 and vitamin D were found to have a possible therapeutic effect on painful crises. This research was published...

In terms of pain relief, the ketamine-based regimen was not determined to be superior to the morphine-based regimen. Nevertheless, ketamine therapy was related to a considerable decrease in cumulative opioid dose. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited hematologic illness in which deoxygenated hemoglobin polymerizes, causing red blood cells to assume a sickle-like shape. These...

iCanCope is a digital pain self-management platform that helps patients and caregivers easily manage pain episodes. It has been shown to help reduce the frequency and severity of SCD pain episodes. In addition, it can also help improve the quality of life for both patients and caregivers. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of...

Patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) may be protected from severe disease with malaria. However, severe complications, such as severe drops in hemoglobin, may occur in SCA patients with concomitant low-density malarial infection. Sickle cell anemia (SCA) has historically been linked to high levels of childhood mortality in Africa, with malaria playing a significant role....

L-glutamine is an FDA-approved treatment for sickle cell disease. One study explored the potential benefits and mechanism of action of L-glutamine in sickle cell disease patients. Leukocytosis is common in sickle cell disease (SCD) in the absence of infection and is a predictor for increased risk of stroke, acute chest syndrome, and mortality. Oral L-glutamine...

Supplementation with omega-3 or vitamin D may be useful for preventing and treating pain in patients with SCD. One study assessed the effects of supplementation in conjunction with standard therapy. A common clinical feature present in sickle cell disease (SCD) is pain caused by the distortion of red blood cells and the subsequent blocking of...