source: Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

year: 2020

authors: Andrew B Collins, Emily A McTate-Acosta, Sara E Williams

Sickle cell disease is an inherited hemoglobinopathy, with relatively high prevalence in African American and some Hispanic populations within the United States. Those with SCD have increased risk for multisystem comorbid conditions as well as shortened lifespan compared to the general population. Pain is the most commonly occurring symptom of SCD, with patients experiencing both acute pain episodes as well as chronic pain that persists beyond exacerbations. Pain accounts for over half of hospital admissions among children with SCD.

While acute pain has historically been a focus of research and clinical care, chronic pain is an increasingly recognized problem in SCD. Diagnostic criteria for chronic pain for patients with SCD is currently defined as pain on more than half of days that is not associated with active disease presence, lasting longer than 6 months. Using these criteria, an estimated 30–40% of adults and adolescents with SCD have chronic pain.

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