Summary
A study by University of Maryland researchers found that many patients with sickle cell disease were not properly prioritized in U.S. hospital emergency departments during severe pain episodes. These patients experienced long waits for pain medication, which are crucial for managing their condition.
Key Facts
- Sickle cell disease affects around 100,000 people in the U.S., mostly individuals of Black or African ancestry.
- The disease can cause extreme pain known as vaso-occlusive crises because of misshaped blood cells blocking blood flow.
- Guidelines suggest prioritizing these patients with an emergency severity index (ESI) score of two for quick pain management.
- In this study, only 34.8% of patients received the proper ESI score of two.
- Patients with the less urgent ESI score of three waited about 178 minutes for pain medication.
- The study highlights the need for improved triage to reduce waiting times and improve care for these patients.
- Most of the patients in the study were female (58%) and of a median age of 33.
- The average reported pain level for these patients on a scale of 1 to 10 was nine.
