For years, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University Physicians have helped both adult and pediatric patients manage sickle cell disease (SCD) and enjoy the best quality of life possible. With the opening of the Sickle Cell Treatment Center, an outpatient center for adults with SCD that is the first of its kind in the St. Louis metro region, we are stiving to deliver that same excellent care when and where SCD patients need the most support. Learn more about SCD, the adult outpatient center and the pediatric SCD program at St. Louis Children's Hospital below.
What is sickle cell disease (SCD)?
Sickle cell disease (SCD) describes a group of complex and inherited red blood cell disorders. Healthy red blood cells are round, allowing them to move through veins and arteries and, critically, deliver oxygen to all parts of the body. In patients with SCD, red blood cells are crescent shaped, like the blade of a sickle. The shape of the sickle cells causes them to stick together and obstruct blood flow. Sickle cells also have a truncated lifespan, resulting in an ongoing shortage of red blood cells. This can cause pain and many other serious complications such as infection, kidney and lung damage, or even stroke.
SCD is more common in certain ethnic groups, such as people of African descent, Hispanic-Americans from Central and South America, and people of Middle Eastern, Asian , Indian and Mediterranean descent. One in 12 African-Americans carries a sickle cell gene, and 1 in 400 Missourians live with some form of SCD.
Sickle Cell Outpatient Treatment Center
The Sickle Cell Treatment Center is an outpatient center for adults with SCD and is located at the Center for Advanced Medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The first of its kind in the St. Louis metro region, the newly opened center complements St. Louis Children's Hospital's SCD program, the largest and most experienced pediatric SCD program in Missouri. At the Sickle Cell Treatment Center, patients who have received referrals can receive intravenous fluids to better manage SCD crises, saving them time and making it more convenient to receive care. The treatment center is not a walk-in facility, but appointments can be coordinated through a patient's primary care physician or a specialist.
Contact Us
Sickle Cell Outpatient Treatment Center
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Center for Advanced Medicine
4921 Parkview Place
3rd floor
St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: 314-362-7216
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