Pain management and quality of life in sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited disease worldwide and is responsible for a massive health burden. Its main clinical feature is severe pain that is unpredictable and recurrent, and this, in addition to the other acute and chronic features of SCD, may have a huge impact on the quality of life of both the patient and their families and carers. We consider medical and psychological methods of pain management in SCD, drawing on recently published UK Standards of Care, and also consider the effect of SCD on quality of life.
Howard
Jo
J
Department of Haematology, St Thomas' Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH, UK. jo.howard@gstt.nhs.uk
Thomas
Veronica J
VJ
Rawle
Heather M
HM
D000208:Acute Disease; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000700:Analgesics