Sickle Cell Disease

Preventive care is a critical aspect of ensuring optimal health for children, teens, and adults with sickle cell disease. While physical examination is essential, 60% of pulmonary infiltrates in children with sickle cell disease and fever will be missed on exam alone; therefore, chest radiography is essential. Most children with sickle cell disease are identified at birth, started on prophylactic penicillin by age 2 months, and aggressively monitored and treated for signs of infection. Infections can precipitate vaso‐occlusive episodes (VOEs) and other complications of sickle cell anemia and, in this population, can quickly become fulminant. This chapter provides the recommendations for the management of VOEs. Acute chest syndrome is frequently caused by community‐acquired pathogens such as chlamydia, mycoplasma, and other bacterial or viral organisms. Priapism can be precipitated by prolonged intercourse or masturbation, frequently occurs at night, and can be differentiated from a nocturnal erection by its duration and pain.