Sickle cell disease is a common genetic disorder characterized by periodic occurrences of pain which happen repeatedly through life. These episodes, referred to as a vaso-occlusive episodes, happen when sickled cells obstruct blood vessels. The degree of pain may range from a mild discomfort to a severe disabling pain where the person needs treatment in hospital. A new study has found that hospital-admitted patients who received the fluid Lactated Ringer’s, a solution used to replace water and electrolyte loss in patients with low blood volume or low blood pressure, rather than normal saline, had shorter hospital lengths of stay, fewer readmissions to the hospital, and fewer days of intravenous opioid medications for pain control.
