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Papers of the Week


2022 Sep


Cureus


14


9

A Quality Improvement Initiative to Decrease Time to Analgesia in Patients With Sickle Cell and Vaso-Occlusive Crisis: A Population With Disparities in Treatment.

Authors

Arnold T, Coffee LR, Rosenberg L, Jacob SA, Thompson S, Saavedra H, Cico S J, Wagers B
Cureus. 2022 Sep; 14(9):e29569.
PMID: 36312605.

Abstract

Vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) are the leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Timely administration of analgesia, within 60 minutes of patient registration, is the standard of care for SCD patients with VOCs. Patients with VOCs have longer times to initial analgesia compared to similar painful conditions. The primary aim of the project is to have 75% of patients with VOCs receive initial analgesia within 60 minutes of being registered, the current recommended time frame from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).