Pain management in adult acute sickle cell pain crisis: a view point

A Brief Look at the Perception of Pain Management in Sickle Cell Crisis

“…11,12 Recurrent vaso-occlusive pain is the most common reason for hospitalization among patients with sickle cell disease; however, research indicates that the pain is often poorly managed in these types of patients. 13 Our case represents three patients who were satisfied with the pain management received during hospitalization; however, their perceptions of how they were view by their healthcare providers in reference to requesting pain medications did not meet their expectations. It is difficult to assess pain accurately because assessment is influenced by one's socio-cultural factors.…”

CE: Understanding the Complications of Sickle Cell Disease

“…Several RCTs and observational studies support the use of around-the-clock dosing of analgesics versus intermittent analgesic administration in treating VOCs. [155][156][157][158][159][160][161] The largest study on this topic, a prospective observational study in Saudi Arabia, included 1,154 people and examined the effect of a pain management protocol. 155 The study found that around-the-clock analgesic infusions for the first 24 hours after admission were more effective for managing VOCs than "on demand" or patient-requested infusions of analgesics.…”

“…[155][156][157][158][159][160][161] The largest study on this topic, a prospective observational study in Saudi Arabia, included 1,154 people and examined the effect of a pain management protocol. 155 The study found that around-the-clock analgesic infusions for the first 24 hours after admission were more effective for managing VOCs than "on demand" or patient-requested infusions of analgesics. People treated with around-the-clock analgesics achieved a higher discharge rate within 72 hours of admission (83 percent), compared with people who received intermittent (per patient request) analgesics (71 percent).…”

Sickle Cell Crisis and You: A How-to Guide

“…Although there's no "one size fits all," protocols have been shown to be pretty effective. 20,21 Because all SCD patients have baseline renal insufficiency (even if their serum creatinine level is normal! ), be careful with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and meperidine.…”