Sickle Cell Disease Treatment

Presently, there is no proven cure for sickle cell disease. Bone marrow transplants are currently being considered as a potential cure, but research and experiments are still in progress. Treatment for sickle cell mainly involves the management and prevention of symptoms.

Various medications are often used for the treatment of sickle cell symptoms. Antibiotics, mainly penicillin, are prescribed for children between the ages of 2 months and 5 years to prevent pneumonia and other infections. Immunizations may also be effective in preventing infections in children. Pain relieving medications are prescribed as well as hydroxyurea to reduce the frequency of pain and may even reduce the need for blood transfusions. Hydroxyurea stimulates the production of fetal hemoglobin which in turn helps prevent the formation of sickle cells. This drug is no frequently used because it increases the risk for infections and may cause tumors or leukemia in certain situations.

Blood transfusions are also an option when helping to control sickle cell disease. Blood transfusions increase the number of normal red blood cells in the circulation and help to relieve anemia and decrease the risk of stroke. Although there are many benefits to blood transfusions, regularly transfused patients have a risk of heart, liver, and other organ damage due to the build up of excess iron in the body. Medication may be prescribed to reduce the excess levels of iron if the problem persists.

Bone marrow transplants are only recommended for patients with significant symptoms and problems from sickle cell disease. Healthy bone marrow from a donor replaces the marrow affected by sickle cell disease. The diseased marrow is first depleted by radiation or chemotherapy and the healthy stem cells are filtered from the blood of the donor and injected into the bloodstream of the patient with the disease. These healthy cells migrate to the bone marrow cavities where they begin producing new blood cells. This procedure is not used often due to the scarcity of donors, lengthy hospital stays, and possible rejection of the transplant.

This video shows a bone marrow aspiration.