Browse Guides  internal medicine  haematology

Sickle cell crisis

Prevalence
Clinical features
Investigations
Therapy
Prevention
Prognosis
Clinical features

Ask for a surgical opinion if there are signs of an acute abdomen - it may not be due to the crisis! 

Why?

  • Gallstones are common in patients with sickle cell disease c
  • Investigations (including liver function tests and abdominal ultrasound) are not very helpful at distinguishing a vaso-occlusive crisis from an acute abdomen c

 

Expiry date: May 2004
Levels of Evidence used in grading these guides

Author    CM  Ball, RS Phillips
Reviewer   G   Serjeant
CAT Writer     CM  Ball, N  Shenker