Ask Dr. Kevin: Stigma in Sickle Cell Disease: How It Impacts Emergency Room Care

The “Ask Dr. Kevin” series is brought to you by Pfizer Rare Disease in collaboration with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) to increase understanding of sickle cell disease. The opioid crisis in the United States is at an all-time high, impacting thousands of Americans every day. What may surprise you is the impact this crisis has on people with medical conditions that cause severe pain, particularly when they receive treatment in the emergency department (ED). In light of the current opioid crisis, ED staff have become much more vigilant in monitoring suspected drug abuse. This can have particular implications for people with sickle cell disease (SCD), whose top reason for visiting the ED is to seek relief from the debilitating pain crises associated with their disease. Abstract source