View clinical trials related to Anemia, Sickle Cell.
Filter by:Malaria is fatal and increases the risk of death among children with sickle cell anemia. Chemoprophylaxis significantly improves quality of life in these children. In Uganda Chloroquine is the drug of choice for prophylaxis and yet it's effectiveness is limited due to high levels of resistance throughout the country. Intermittent presumptive treatment with sulfadoxine - Pyrimethamine a new approach to malaria prevention, has shown great potential in reducing incidence of malaria and anaemia among high risk groups such as pregnant women and infants. However no studies have been done in Uganda to determine if presumptive treatment with sulfadoxine- pyrimethamine reduces the incidence of malaria in children with sickle cell anaemia. Hypothesis : Presumptive treatment with sulfadoxine- Pyrimethamine is better than weekly chloroquine in reducing incidence of malaria in children with sickle cell anaemia.
This study will examine whether hypnosis can reduce the frequency and intensity of pain in patients with sickle cell disease. Patients 18 years of age and older with sickle cell disease and a history of pain associated with their disease may be eligible for this study. Participants are interviewed to assess their frequency and intensity of pain, sleep quality, coping strategies, mood and anxiety and are then randomly assigned to study Group A or B (see below). All participants are given pain diaries to complete at home and turn in at each clinic visit. They undergo the following procedures: Group A Weeks 1-4: Receive weekly 60-minute hypnosis sessions, in which they are given suggestions for relieving pain, reducing anxiety, improving sleep and enhancing their health and well-being. The sessions are audio- and videotaped. Week 5: Are interviewed to assess pain, sleep, coping strategies, mood and anxiety. Week 6: Receive a DVD player and DVD with instruction on how to perform self-hypnosis. They practice hypnosis at home as often as needed, but at least once a day. They record in a pain diary in the morning and the evening their amount of pain, medication use, school or work attendance, quality and amount of sleep and number of times they use self-hypnosis. Weeks 8, 10 and 12: Turn in their pain diaries and have a pain assessment. Week 12: Are assessed for how they respond to the hypnosis. Group B Weeks 1-4: Receive weekly 60-minute sessions of education about sickle cell disease. Week 5: Are interviewed to assess pain, sleep, coping strategies, mood and anxiety. Week 6: Turn in their daily pain diaries and receive a DVD player and DVD that contains educational materials about sickle cell disease. Weeks 8, 10 and 12: Turn in their pain diaries and have a pain assessment. Weeks 13-24: Follow the procedures described in weeks 1-12 for Group A.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a devastating chronic health condition that primarily affects African-Americans. Painful episodes are the most frequent form of morbidity in SCD and the most frequent reason for hospitalization. Cognitive-behavioral interventions for pain management have shown efficacy for improving coping abilities, reducing the amount of medication needed to manage pain, and improving daily functioning during painful episodes. However, difficulties with disseminating and implementing cognitive-behavioral treatments have resulted in almost no use of these techniques in pediatric settings. In South Carolina these difficulties are compounded by social and geographical factors that pose particular challenges. A major issue with implementing quality pain management protocols is the difficulty with providing adequate practice and monitoring of the use of the techniques, particularly given the rural population in South Carolina and transportation difficulties for economically disadvantaged families. Due to a history of under-treating pain in SCD it is also critical that psychological and medical treatments are presented in an integrated manner so that these approaches are viewed as complimentary, not mutually exclusive, approaches to pain management. Finally, we believe the same implementation issues for improving the use of behavioral coping skills are also important for improving adherence to medication protocols for appropriate home-based pain management. The purpose of this proposal is to develop, implement, and evaluate a pain management protocol that uses portable electronic devices and other technologies to increase the practice of psychosocial pain management techniques, improve adherence to the overall biopsychosocial pain management protocol, and improve the clinician's ability to track progress with fewer office visits. In addition to addressing important dissemination issues, by embedding methods to assess for adherence into the technology it will be possible to continuously evaluate and modify protocol efficacy, resulting in a product that is effective, empirically sound, and flexible. Participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention or waitlist control condition. Those on the waitlist condition will receive the same study procedures after a 2 month wait periods. We anticipate that the intervention will result in better pain management and less impairment in the participants.
The primary objectives of this study were to assess the immunogenicity and the tolerance of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevenar) in young infants (2 months of age) with sickle cell disease when administred at 2,3, and 4 months of age.
This study will explore how people with sickle cell disease (SCD) develop a complication called pulmonary hypertension (PHTN), a serious disease in which blood pressure in the lungs is higher than normal. PHTN is also caused by HIV, hepatitis C and schistosomiasis. Patients who have both SCD and one of these other infections may develop more severe PHTN. The number of Nigerians with SCD who also have PHTN is not known, nor is the cause of PHTN in this population. This study will examine genetic material in people with and without SCD to determine whether certain genes will allow doctors to predict which patients with SCD are likely to develop PHTN. Nigerian males and females 10 years of age and older with or without SCD may be eligible for this study. Patients must have SS, SC, or SB thalassemia or other genotype; control subjects must have hemoglobin A or AS genotype. Participants undergo a complete medical history and physical examination, blood tests, electrocardiogram (EKG), ultrasound tests of the heart and abdomen, and a 6-minute walk (distance test) to determine exercise capacity. Blood tests include screening for HIV, hepatitis B and C, schistosomiasis, hookworm and malaria. Patients who test positive for HIV, hepatitis B or C, schistosomiasis, hookworm or malaria are referred for treatment at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Nigeria, and those who test negative for hepatitis B are referred for vaccination. Genetic tests focus on genes involved in SCD, PHTN, inflammation, blood vessel function and red blood cell function.
This study will assess the safety and efficacy of bosentan therapy (in a study known as ASSET) for patients who have high blood pressure in the lungs associated with sickle cell disease. That form of hypertension places people at risk for complications, including shortness of breath, pain, pneumonia, and death. Previous studies have shown that bosentan can be helpful in reducing pulmonary hypertension. Patients ages 16 and older who have completed the 16-week treatment in the ASSET 1 or ASSET 2 study and who are not pregnant or breastfeeding may be eligible for this study. The research will be conducted in about 25 hospitals in the United States and Europe. Up to 30 participants will be enrolled. The screening visit will involve a physical examination, blood sample of about 3 teaspoons for laboratory tests, and a pregnancy test. Patients' doctors will give them bosentan tablets (62.5 mg each), to take one in the morning and one in the evening. After 1 month, patients will be told whether the dose should be increased to 125 mg tablets to take twice a day. Two weeks after the increase in dose, a blood test will be done to analyze the drug's effects on the liver. After the start of treatment, patients will return for visits every 6 months, when there will be a 6-minute walking test to measure exercise capacity and evaluate shortness of breath. There will be follow-up for patients up to the end of the study and for 28 days after the last dose of bosentan is taken, to collect information about side effects. Some patients on bosentan have had changes in liver function and red blood cell count. Side effects commonly reported are headache, flushed appearance, inflammation of the throat and nasal passages, and gastrointestinal symptoms. If patients have sudden worsening in breathing in the first few weeks after taking bosentan, they should immediately tell their doctors, because it may be necessary to change the treatment.
The goal of this study is to test the hypothesis that hydroxyurea is effective for the specific treatment of secondary pulmonary hypertension found on screening in children and young adults with sickle cell disease.
To evaluate PK and PD responses to L-citrulline given orally for four weeks to patients with sickle cell disease who are otherwise healthy.
The purpose of this study is to determine if intravenous magnesium sulfate treatment is effective in reducing the length of stay and pain in children with sickle cell disease suffering an acute vaso-occlusive episode.
The study will assess the effect of bosentan on pulmonary vascular resistance and exercise capacity in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension. It consists of 3 phases: screening, treatment and follow-up. During the screening visit, the study doctor will decide if patients meet the study requirements. All potential patients will have a diagnosis of increased pulmonary artery pressures that is shown by right heart catheterization conducted shortly prior to start of study treatment. Patients will be asked to perform exercise capacity test (walking as far as possible for 6 minutes). Following the baseline visit the treatment phase consists of 4 additional clinic visits during which the good and bad effects of the drug are reviewed and exercise capacity test will be repeated. Patients will be treated for 16 weeks. Blood samples will be collected every month, or more often, if needed. At the end of the study some of the patients will be asked to repeat the right heart catheterization. All patients will repeat an exercise capacity test. After completion of the study, patients will have the option of enrolling in a long-term follow-up study where all patients will receive active drug. Patients electing not to participate in the extension study will be followed up for safety assessments for about 28 days after the end of the study treatment.