This Week in Sickle Cell News

Hello All!

Lining up quite nicely with last week's revelation of newly developed methods to detect Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's release this week of  comprehensive, evidence-based guidelines for SCD management. These guidelines are intended to inform care and treatment of the disease over the course of the patients life time. They represent a huge step forward for management of SCD for patients in the United States. Read more here.

Clearly defined and contextually relevant guidelines for SCD treatment remains a challenge to be conquered for clinicians and other healthcare providers on the African continent. As stated by Makani et al.(2013) in a paper assessing these challenges:

"In many African countries there are few or virtually no facilities for appropriate diagnosis and management of SCD. There is limited data about frequency, clinical course, or mortality. Without this information it will be impossible to persuade African governments about the burden of this disease."

There continues to be a need for research and collaborations towards getting this infoirmation.

Other developments this week:

Predictive value of pain intensity in the clinical severity of painful crises in children and adolescents with sickle cell diseases

Population and Public Health Implications of Child Health and Reproductive Outcomes Among Carrier Couples of Sickle Cell Disorders in Madhya Pradesh, Central India

Assessment of Ventricular Function in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease: Role of Two-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Strain

The Prevalence Rate and Neurocognitive Morbidity Associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

LIN28A Expression Reduces Sickling of Cultured Human Erythrocytes

Distribution of Sickle Cell Disease in Different Communities of Patient Visiting Out Patient Department

 Proteinuria in patients with sickle cell disease

Have a great weekend!

The ASN Team

This Week in Sickle Cell News

Hello All!

Early diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) remains one of the most important management strategies for the disease. Certain complications can be prevented and treated with early diagnosis. Post natal screening for  SCD and other genetic diseases is the standard for most developed  nations, which means SCD diagnosis usually comes earlier in life.  Diagnosis remains a challenge in most underdeveloped nations where the available health care infrastructure and services often do not have the capacity for such screening. The development of a quick and inexpensive tests for SCD is hence a priority. According to Science Daily, Havard Post-Doctoral fellow A.J. Kumar and his colleagues at the lab of George Whitesides, the Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor, have developed a new test for SCD capable of providing results in just 12 minutes. The test which costs   as little as 50 cents is currently the fastest and least expensive test for SCD available.  Read more about the test and its techniques here.


Other developments this week:

Blood and marrow transplantation for sickle cell disease: Is less more?

Hydroxyurea and Growth in Young Children With Sickle Cell Disease

Phytomedicines of sickle cell crisis in Mezam Division, Cameroon: preventive and curative cares

Patient reports of health outcome for adults living with sickle cell disease: development and testing of the ASCQ-Me item banks.

The Effectiveness of Self-Management Programs on Self-Efficacy in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease

Controlled Trial of Transfusions for Silent Cerebral Infarcts in Sickle Cell Anemia

Evaluating the knowledge of sickle cell disease and hemoglobin electrophoretic pattern among people living in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana

Sickle Cell Trait and Incident Ischemic Stroke in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Abnormalities in renal tubular phosphate handling in children with sickle cell disease

Acute Chest Syndrome

Sickle Cell Disease Management


Have a great weekend!

The ASN Team.