Sickle cell anemia how is it treated

Child-bearing is an acceptable risk if the woman wants to raise a family, but oral contraceptives are probably safer than an undesired pregnancy. No drug is now recognized as an effective agent for prevention or termination of painful crises.

Sodium cyanate and long-term transfusion need careful evaluation as means of treatment, but great care must be exercised to inform patients of both risks and benefits of any new regimen. Charache S. The Treatment of Sickle Cell Anemia. Arch Intern Med. Coronavirus Resource Center. Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. However, it has also been suggested that the addition of ESA may allow administration of higher doses of hydroxyurea and improved fetal hemoglobin levels.

Hydroxyurea is used in the treatment of SCD to increase the synthesis of fetal hemoglobin, which, unlike HbS, does not sickle. Serious neurologic complication of sickle cell anemia What is the most serious neurologic complication of….

These guidelines address more than 40 specific issues, such as abdominal pain, congestive heart failure, and infections. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate.

Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Guidelines. Minus Related Pages. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. But older children and adults can be tested, too. In adults, a blood sample is drawn from a vein in the arm. In young children and babies, the blood sample is usually collected from a finger or heel. The sample is then sent to a laboratory, where it's screened for the defective hemoglobin. If you or your child has sickle cell anemia, your doctor might suggest additional tests to check for possible complications of the disease.

If you or your child carries the sickle cell gene, you'll likely be referred to a genetic counselor. Using a special ultrasound machine, doctors can learn which children have a higher risk of stroke. This painless test, which uses sound waves to measure blood flow, can be used in children as young as 2 years.

Regular blood transfusions can decrease stroke risk. Sickle cell disease can be diagnosed in an unborn baby by sampling some of the fluid surrounding the baby in the mother's womb amniotic fluid.

If you or your partner has sickle cell anemia or the sickle cell trait, ask your doctor about this screening. Management of sickle cell anemia is usually aimed at avoiding pain episodes, relieving symptoms and preventing complications. Treatments might include medications and blood transfusions.

For some children and teenagers, a stem cell transplant might cure the disease. Children with sickle cell anemia might receive penicillin between the ages of about 2 months old until at least age 5.

Doing so helps prevent infections, such as pneumonia, which can be life-threatening to children with sickle cell anemia.