RT Book, Section
A1 Moryl, Natalie
A1 Payne, Richard
A2 Warfield, Carol A.
A2 Bajwa, Zahid H.
SR Print(0)
ID 3418259
T1 Chapter 52. Sickle Cell Disease
T2 Principles & Practice of Pain Medicine, 2e
YR 2004
FD 2004
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071443494
LK accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=3418259
RD 2024/04/19
AB Sickle  cell  disease  is  one  of  the  most  prevalent  single  gene  disorders,  affecting  over  50,000  Americans.  Sickle  cell  disease  is  a  debilitating  condition  that  is  associated  with  chronic  anemia,  stroke,  splenic  and  renal  dysfunction,  susceptibility  to  bacterial  infections,  particularly  in  children,  acute  chest  syndrome,  and  pain  crises.  Each  year  in  the  US,  an  average  of  75,000  hospitalizations  are  due  to  sickle  cell  disease,  costing  approximately  $475  million.  Athough  tremendous  resources  have  been  invested  in  looking  for  a  cure  and  palliative  care,  the  management  of  acute  and  chronic  pain  remains  the  major  intervention,  focusing  on  improving  quality  of  life  and  decreasing  morbidity.  In  spite  of  some  decrease  in  mortality  in  children  with  sickle  cell  disease  over  the  last  25  years,  median  life  expectancy  for  most  sickle  cell  patients  remains  below  age  50  years.  Pain,  the  most  frequent  symptom  experienced  by  the  patients  with  sickle  cell  anemia,  profoundly  impairs  patient  function  at  home  and  work,  their  social  interactions,  and  their  careers.  Despite  the  high  prevalence  of  pain  episodes,  correlating  with  morbility  and  mortality,  sickle  cell  anemia  pain  remains  underestimated  and  undertreated.  There  are  still  multiple  misconceptions  regarding  the  use  of  pain  medications,  including  opioids,  tolerance,  and  addiction.