Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disease that primarily affects African Americans, but it can also affect people of Latino, Middle Eastern or Mediteranean descent. It creates red blood cells giving them an abnormal "sickle" shape instead of a normal disc shape.
Sickle cells carry less oxygen and can interrupt healthy blood flow, eventually leading to tissue and organ damage.
The Sickle Cell Clinic at Froedtert Hospital provides comprehensive care for adults with sickle cell disease.
Wisconsin's First Adult Sickle Cell Clinic
Opened in 2011, the Sickle Cell Clinic at Froedtert Hospital was the first adult clinic of its kind in the state.
Patients receive ongoing care including drug management and pain management. Infusion services, including automated red cell exchange, are overseen by a physician who is board-certified in transfusion medicine. Patients manage all their acute health concerns through the clinic, without the need to go to a hospital emergency room, in most cases. All patients receive education, coaching and follow-up support.
The adult Sickle Cell Clinic partners with Children's Wisconsin to ensure a smooth transition from pediatric to adult care. The E.A.S.E program (Empower Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease to Effectively Transition) helps prepare patients for their new role as independent adults managing their disease.
Sickle Cell Disease Services
The Sickle Cell Disease Clinic offers:
- Sickle cell disease treatment
- Routine health care by appointment
- Pain management
- Infusion services
- Social services
- Pharmacy
- Immunizations
- Urgent care access
- Education
- Transition Program
- Follow-up care
- Community resources
- Coaching
- Research participation
Know the Warning Signs
- Trouble breathing, seeing, walking, speaking, standing or understanding
- Dizziness or difficulty using hands
- Loss of feeling of the face, arm or leg, mainly on one side of the body
- Chest pain
- Fever greater than 101.5 degrees
- Stomach swelling
- Headache with no known reason
