Emergency management of sickle cell disease complications: review and practice guidelines.

The prevalence of sickle cell disease (SCD) in Minnesota is increasing because of the influx of immigrants from Africa, India, and countries in Latin America. Clinicians, families, and individuals with the disease have expressed the need to educate health care professionals in emergency settings about the standards of care for treating pain and other complications of SCD. Late last year, the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Hemoglobinopathy Collaborative created guidelines for treating patients with complications of SCD in the emergency department. This article provides additional background information to support the guidelines.