Sickle cell disease at tha Emergency Unit

Key words: Sickle cell disease, Vaso-occlusive crisis, Pain, Fever, Emergency

Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic disorder observed at emergency units worldwide with more and more children being diagnosed with severe acute events. Emergency caregivers need to be aware of potentially life-threatening complications because fast and clear protocols were shown to guarantee the most appropriate approach to children with acute crises related to sickle cell disease. The Italian Society of Thalassemias and Hemoglobinopathies (SITE) coordinated a multidisciplinary group to design an interactive algorithm for the management of the most common and serious complications in sickle cell disease. Topics of interest are accessed by clicking on different windows with handiness and reliability. This evidence-based and easy to handle algorithm helps in the decisionmaking processes and therapeutic management of severe acute events in children with sickle cell disease and aims to a rapid and aggressive treatment of life-threatening crises and the decrease in mortality and long-term disabilities in sickle cell children