wally r. smith, md florence neal cooper smith professor of sickle cell disease managing sickle cell...
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Wally R. Smith, MDFlorence Neal Cooper Smith Professor of Sickle Cell Disease
Managing Sickle Cell Disease Pain
The Pain Response: Psychosocial factors associated with Sickle Cell Disease and
Health Care Utilization
The Majority of SCD Patients Have Pain on Over Half Their Days
Most SCD Pain is Managed at Home
• Common, mostly moderate in severity
• Correlates with hemoglobin
• Interferes moderately with school, work and exercise
• Correlates w/ pain, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, stress, QoL
– Ameringer S, Elswick RK, Smith W. Fatigue in Adolescents and Young Adults with Sickle Cell Disease: Biological and Behavioral Correlates and Health-Related Quality of Life. Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses. 2014;31(1):6-17. doi:10.1177/1043454213514632.
Fatigue May be Nearly as Important as Pain
Summary: What we Know About Pain in SCD
The “What”• Pain is far more frequent than once
thought, the rule rather than the exception
• Most pain is NOT called a “crisis” by patients, and is treated at home
• Fatigue rivals pain as a reported SCD symptom
• Sleep and quality of life suffer without pain relief
The “Why”• The pain experience is very
individual-different people respond different ways
Unanswered Questions
• Does chronic SCD pain only result from patients with frequent acute pain? When does it start?
• Is SCD chronic pain from damaged nerves or brain rewiring?
• Does treatment with opioids (narcotics) help or hurt?
Reasons for Opioid Underuse
Reasons for Opioid Overuse
Results: Illustrative quotes
• Participant #10: “Yeah, I actually, just, stopped taking it… kinda worried about my dependency”.
– Shows an unwillingness to take opioids, for fear of being dependent
• Participant #16: “You know it slows me down… or makes me drowsy, if I have, you know things to do”.
– Illustrates patients’ dislike of side effects of opioids, interference with planned activities
• Participant #20: “maybe not taking it…the kids take advantage…’cause they know it makes me drowsy, and it puts me to sleeps so they… take advantage”.
– Illustrates patient caught between needing to use opioids for pain control and not wanting opioids for various reasons.
– Hypothesis: this can lead to various levels of adherence over time