Sickle cell disease: managing acute painful episodes in hospital

Possible complications

Your healthcare team should be aware of possible complications that can occur at any time in people having an acute painful sickle cell episode. In particular, they should look out for a serious lung condition called acute chest syndrome that can affect people with sickle cell disease. Symptoms include chest pain, breathing problems and fever. Other possible complications they should be aware of include stroke, aplastic crisis (a severe type of anaemia that usually requires a blood transfusion), infections, osteomyelitis (a bone infection) and splenic sequestration (where red blood cells become trapped in the spleen).