Sickle Cell Disease Care

Why choose UCLA Health for sickle cell disease treatment?

皇冠hga025大学洛杉矶分校健康镰状细胞病项目是唯一专门的, 针对洛杉矶县镰状细胞病患者的亚专科项目. 我们训练有素的专家团队专注于遗传性血液疾病. We address the unique needs of people with sickle cell disease, 一种引起广泛症状和健康并发症的血液疾病. 这种专门的护理模式显著降低了这种复杂疾病患者住院和并发症的风险.

Highlights of our program include:

Team-based, specialized treatment: Our sickle cell disease treatment team includes primary care 接受过儿童和成人镰状细胞病专门培训的医务人员, hematologists, pain management specialists, neurologists, orthopaedic specialists, infectious disease specialists, transfusion medicine specialists, pulmonologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, ophthalmologists, dentists, psychologists, physical therapists and more. This multispecialty model allows us to provide timely, 协调治疗镰状细胞病的所有独特需求或可能的并发症.

Access to clinical trial treatment is essential for discovery and research. 临床试验为患者提供改进的治疗方案，从而影响患者的预后.

Coordinated care: 通过我们的项目，您可以轻松获得镰状细胞病培训PCP. 血液病专家会参加你的年度体检，提供咨询，并进一步询问你的健康史和治疗情况. pcp也可以根据需要转介其他专家或综合医学提供者. 我们的协调方法有助于确保您获得所需的持续护理，而无需因疼痛或其他并发症而去医院或急诊室.

Specialized social workers: 慢性病的医疗护理可能很复杂，但我们确保您并不孤单. 我们专门的医务社会工作者可以帮助您与支持团体建立联系, find transportation or fill housing or food needs. 他们还可以帮助你协调你的医疗预约或从儿科过渡到成人护理.

What is sickle cell disease?

镰状细胞病是一种遗传性血液疾病，会导致僵硬, crescent-shaped red blood cells that adhere to each other. Typically, red blood cells are smooth and disc-shaped.

一个健康红细胞的平均寿命是三个月. 虽然镰状细胞可以存活数周，但它们很脆弱，容易分解. 这导致红细胞的慢性缺乏(贫血)，也被称为镰状细胞性贫血. 镰状细胞性贫血可引起疲劳、头晕或呼吸短促. 镰状细胞病患者感染的风险也会增加, lung problems, vision loss and stroke.

Sickle cell disease is characterized by episodes of severe pain. 镰状红细胞可以阻塞小血管, 导致疼痛如此强烈，以至于需要去急诊室. Many people experience pain in the limbs, chest or back. With ongoing treatment, however, 许多人的疼痛发作较少，并发症的风险也较低.

Sickle cell disease treatments we offer

镰状细胞病的治疗通常侧重于减轻症状和降低并发症的风险. Your personalized treatment plan may include:

Lifestyle changes: Some lifestyle changes can help manage pain episodes. 你的医生可能会建议你多喝水，避免极端的温度变化, high altitudes or environments with low oxygen levels.

Medications: 你的医生可能会开口服或静脉注射药物来减少疼痛发作的频率, increase blood flow, 降低你患贫血的风险或缓解严重发作时的疼痛.

Infection prevention: 重要的是要及时接种所有疫苗，以降低感染的风险. 如果你有肺炎病史或切除过脾脏，医生也会建议你定期服用青霉素.

Blood transfusions: You receive healthy red blood cells through an IV line. 这种治疗可以帮助减少镰状细胞病的症状，降低中风等并发症的风险.

Iron chelation therapy: 经常输血的人铁超载的风险更高, a condition that occurs when you have too much iron. 医生可能会给你开铁螯合剂，治疗铁超载的药物.

Stem cell transplant: 这个手术用捐赠者的健康骨髓代替患病的骨髓. 干细胞移植有望治愈镰状细胞性贫血.

Clinical trial treatments: 皇冠hga025大学洛杉矶分校健康中心的患者可能会通过临床试验获得有希望的新疗法. 你可以询问你的医生你是否有资格参加治疗镰状细胞病的临床试验.