Improving Care of Sickle Cell Disease Vaso-Occlusive Pain Crises

Rapid reduction of pain using parenteral medications for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) during vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) might permit greater movement and deeper breathing, facilitating improved blood flow and oxygenation. Emergency departments (EDs) have become the de facto location to manage VOCs at some institutions; however, many EDs are plagued by overcrowding and understaffing, leading to delays in pain management for patients with SCD. Further, many patients with SCD avoid going to EDs during VOCs due to prior experiences of suboptimal symptom control.

Investigators used a prospective cohort design to evaluate 269 SCD patients with uncomplicated VOCs who presented to one of four hospitals that had both infusion centers (IC…