Management of vasoocclusive crises in sickle cell disease patients

This was a 12-month documentary and retrospective study carried out in a pediatric setting in Kinshasa. The general objective was to evaluate the method of pain treatment by analgesic steps recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the painful sickle-cell crisis. The study involved 220 sickle-cell patients of both sexes, aged between 6 months and 17 years, undergoing a painful crisis. Treatment duration averaged 5 days, depending on the severity of painful symptoms. Pain intensity was assessed using VAS (visual analogue scale) and DEGR (pain enfant Goustave Roussy) scales.The effectiveness of analgesic treatment was systematically assessed at 2 hours. The 6-10 age group was the most affected, with 40%. In 52.27% of cases, pain was soothed by a Tier I analgesic (Paracetamol), while 47.73% required a switch to Tier II (Temgesic).