Table 1.
SCD complications and specialists needed
| Complication | Specialists | ES or P |
|---|---|---|
| Retinopathy | Retinal specialist | ES |
| Leg ulcer | Wound care | ES |
| Restrictive lung disease | Pulmonary | ES |
| Pulmonary hypertension | Cardiology (or pulmonary)* | ES |
| Renal disease | Nephrology | ES |
| AVN | Orthopedics | ES |
| Gallstones/hypersplenism | General surgeon | ES |
| Mood disorders | Psychiatry/psychology | ES |
| Neurovascular disease | Neurosurgeon | ES |
| Priapism | Urology | ES |
| Transfusion-related complications | Blood bank specialist | ES |
| Pregnancy-related complications | Maternal-fetal medicine/high-risk OBGYN | ES |
| Iron overload (assessment) | Radiologic specialists | P |
| Chronic pain | Pain specialist | P |
AVN, avascular necrosis; ES, essential; OBGYN, obstetrics and gynecology specialist; P, preferred.
*
Prefer (not essential) with sickle cell–specific training.