Overview of the approach to evaluating and managing acute pain episodes in individuals with sickle cell disease

This is a general approach for an individual with SCD who presents to the emergency department or day hospital with a painful episode. Individual care plans and local institutional protocols should also be consulted. We do not use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for acute pain in hospitalized patients due to lack of demonstrated efficacy and clear evidence that they may cause serious complications, especially ketorolac. Refer to UpToDate for additional information.