Sickle cell disease/anemia prevention

Therapy for sickle cell disease has changed dramatically since the mid-1990s. Prior to the 1980s therapeutic interventions for sickle cell disease consisted of supportive care during acute illness, opioids for pain management, and occasional transfusions for severe anemia or life-threatening complications. At that time, sickle cell disease was considered a pediatric disease as there were few children who survived into adulthood. In 1986, the Penicillin Prophylaxis Study was conducted, providing evidence that early intervention with penicillin prevented... 

Favorable results of exchange transfusion in a variety of diseases in adults, for example sickle cell disease, severe clotting disorders, hepatic failure, and acute hemolytic transfusion reactions, have been published (1). Today, however, machine apheresis procedures are more effective and safer for patients requiring exchange of cellular elements or plasma. Exchange transfusion is the most effective therapeutic procedure in the treatment of hemolytic disease of the newborn. Bilirubin removal prevents damage to the central nervous system caused by hyperbilirubinemia. In addition, sensitized erythrocytes are replaced by normally surviving cells and anemia is corrected. 

---