Pain management and quality of life in sickle cell disease

Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited disease worldwide and is responsible for a massive health burden. Its main clinical feature is severe pain that is unpredictable and recurrent, and this, in addition to the other acute and chronic features of SCD, may have a huge impact on the quality of life of both the patient and their families and carers. We consider medical and psychological methods of pain management in SCD, drawing on recently published UK Standards of Care, and also consider the effect of SCD on quality of life.

Keywords::

• pain
• pain management
• quality of life
• sickle cell disease

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.