Three tips about sickle cell disease every emergency provider needs to know

Children and adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) often require care in the emergency department (ED) of hospitals and clinics for health issues related to SCD. The ED may be a patient’s only option for health care when symptoms, such as pain crises, cannot be managed at home or when a patient does not have access to a healthcare provider who specializes in treating SCD. The Sickle Cell Data Collection (SCDC) program found that in California, people with SCD seek care in the ED an average of three times a year from their late teens to their late 50s. CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities is committed to protecting people and preventing complications of blood disorders. Learn more about CDC’s work to help people with SCD here: www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell Sickle_Cell_Providers.pdf

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection