Sickle cell disease and other hemoglobinopathies

Perioperative care of children with sickle cell disease: A systematic review and clinical recommendations

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) require specific perioperative care, and clinical practice in this area remains poorly defined. We aimed to conduct a systematic, PRISMA-based review of the literature, available clinical guidelines and practice recommendations. We also aimed to extract any valuable information for the "best of available-evidence"-based prevention of perioperative adverse events in children with SCD, and highlight the most urgent priorities in clinical research. As data sources, US National Library of Medicine, Medline, National Guideline Clearinghouse, International Guideline Network, TRIP databases were searched for any content until January 2019. We also included institutional, consortia and expert group guidelines. Included were reports/guidelines in English, French, German, and Italian. Excluded were reports on obstetrical and fetal management. We identified 202 reports/guidelines fulfilling the criteria outlined above. A majority focused on visceral, cardiovascular and orthopedic surgery procedures, and only five were multicenter randomized controlled trials and two prospective randomized studies. After grading of the quality of the evidence, the extracted data was summarized into clinical recommendations for daily practice. Additionally, we designed a risk-grading algorithm to identify contexts likely to be associated with adverse outcomes. In conclusion, we provide a systematic PRISMA-based review of the existing literature and ancillary practice and delineate a set of clinical recommendations and priorities for research.

Perioperative Anaesthetic Approach in a Homozygous Sickle Cell Anaemia Patient with Frequent Pain Crises

Sickle cell disease (HbS) is a haemolytic anaemia characterized by the formation of abnormal haemoglobin. In patients with sickle cell disease, high rates of erythrocyte generation, degradation, and hyperbilirubinemia increase the risk for cholelithiasis. Previous studies have found that the incidence of cholelithiasis is 70% in adult patients. In sickle cell disease, decreased oxygen concentration leads to the sickling of erythrocytes by causing aggregation and polymerization. Sickle erythrocytes can have devastating effects on many vital organs by causing microvascular occlusion. In patients with sickle cell anaemia, anaesthetic technique, anaesthetic agents, and surgical trauma may cause additional risk. In this case report, we present a perioperative anaesthetic approach in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy of a patient with HbS, elevated liver function tests, and frequent pain crises.

A biopsychosocial-spiritual model of chronic pain in adults with sickle cell disease

Chronic pain in adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) is a complex multidimensional experience that includes biologic, psychologic, sociologic, and spiritual factors. To date, three models of pain associated with SCD (i.e., biomedical model, biopsychosocial model for SCD pain, and Health Beliefs Model) have been published. The biopsychosocial multidimensional approach to chronic pain developed by Turk and Gatchel is a widely used model of chronic pain. However, this model has not been applied to chronic pain associated with SCD. In addition, a spiritual/religious dimension is not included in this model. Because spirituality/religion is central to persons affected by SCD, that dimension needs to be added to any model of chronic pain in adults with SCD. In fact, data from one study suggest that spirituality/religiosity is associated with decreased pain intensity in adults with chronic pain from SCD. A biopsychosocial-spiritual model is proposed for adults with chronic pain from SCD, because it embraces the whole person. This model includes the biologic, psychologic, sociologic, and spiritual factors relevant to adults with SCD based on past and current research. The purpose of this paper is to describe an adaptation of Turk and Gatchel's model of chronic pain for adults with SCD and to summarize research findings that support each component of the revised model (i.e., biologic, psychologic, sociologic, spiritual). The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for the use of this model in research.

Pain Management

Nursing students often have fear and anxiety about managing pain. The most common misconceptions include fear that patients in acute pain are easily addicted to pain medication, persons who are alert experience side effects from medication such as respiratory depression, and pain is inevitable and cannot completely be relieved. Cognitive restructuring is a method of changing behavior that focuses on identifying misconceptions, influencing distorted thinking, and thereby diminishing anxiety and promoting reasoned practice.