Pain Management for Sickle Cell Disease in the Pediatric Emergency Department: Medications and Hospitalization Trends.

The majority of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are pain related. Adequate and timely pain management may improve quality of life and prevent worsening morbidities. We conducted a retrospective chart review of pediatric patients with SCD seen in the ED, selected by sickle cell-related ICD-9 codes.