Rahila M., 18

Rahila is an 18yo female teenager. She is staying with her parents in a rural community about 50km from the city. She has finished her secondary education from a government school. Father is a petty trader and mother is a house wife. They struggle to get what to eat sometimes. They have a 2 rooms apartment with a pit toilet, they make use of well water, no access to electricity. Monthly income is 10000. She was up and about until the evening of yesterday when she started having severe excruciating pain in the lower limbs which was followed with same pains in the upper limbs and later the waist became involved .

Rahila, an 18yo was up and about until the evening of yesterday when she started having severe excruciating pain in the lower limbs which was followed with same pains in the upper limbs and later the waist became involved. She was so restless through the night that caused the parents to bring her to clinic. On examination, an 18yo female, conscious and oriented but in painful distress. Afebrile, unicteric, acyanosed and not pale. Both upper and lower limbs are not swollen or deformed but are tender. She was diagnosed with Bone crisis in SCD Rahila was admitted and was managed with some injection antibiotics, pain killers, antimalarials and other supportive care until patient was stable. She was discharged with some drugs.

Bone crisis in sickle cell diseases is considered a common but serious vaso-occlusive complication requiring rapid pain relief and supportive care. Early hydration, analgesics, oxygen therapy, and treatment of infections help prevent complications. Prognosis is usually good with prompt management, but repeated crises can result in chronic pain, avascular necrosis, osteomyelitis, reduced mobility, and long-term bone or joint damage.