Wethers D L
St Luke's--Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, New York, USA.
Am Fam Physician. 2000 Sep 1;62(5):1013-20, 1027-8.
Over the past 25 years, morbidity and mortality have decreased significantly in children with sickle cell disease, and screening tests are now available to diagnose the disease in newborns. The incidence of sepsis caused by pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae infections has declined because of the prophylactic administration of penicillin soon after birth and the timely administration of pneumococcal and H. influenzae type b vaccines. Optimal nutrition can maximize growth in children with sickle cell disease, and timely screening can identify complications such as retinal damage and chronic renal involvement, thereby ensuring prompt treatment. Family physicians and parents who have been educated about sickle cell disease can detect acute, life-threatening complications such as splenic sequestration crisis and acute chest syndrome at their onset, thereby allowing treatment to be instituted without delay.
在过去25年里，镰状细胞病患儿的发病率和死亡率显著下降，现在已有筛查测试可用于诊断新生儿疾病。由于出生后不久预防性使用青霉素以及及时接种肺炎球菌和b型流感嗜血杆菌疫苗，由肺炎球菌和流感嗜血杆菌感染引起的败血症发病率有所下降。最佳营养可使镰状细胞病患儿的生长最大化，及时筛查可发现诸如视网膜损伤和慢性肾脏受累等并发症，从而确保及时治疗。接受过镰状细胞病相关教育的家庭医生和家长能够在急性、危及生命的并发症（如脾梗死危机和急性胸部综合征）发作时就及时发现，从而能够立即进行治疗。
