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Sickle Cell disorders

How is it treated?

Painful crises usually disappear spontaneously within a few days and most can be helped by simple measures at home such as rest, fluids and simple pain killers (such as paracetamol and ibuprofen). Unfortunately some painful crises are associated with severe pain requiring treatment with strong pain killers and these situations usually need admission to hospital. Although we know some of the situations that precipitate painful crises there is still a lot that is not known and they often occur in an unpredictable way. Damage to the hips or shoulders may cause severe chronic pain and disability and may need treatment with artificial joints. This chronic pain is different from a painful crisis and is often more difficult to treat.

View How is it diagnosed? How is it diagnosed?  |  Inheritance patterns and prenatal diagnosis View Inheritance patterns and prenatal diagnosis

Medical text written August 2002 by Dr A Stephens. Last updated August 2005 by Dr A Stephens, Consultant Haematologist, King's College Hospital, London, UK.

 

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