Abstract

Vaso-occlusive crisis is a common clinical manifestation in children with sickle cell anaemia, frequently warranting in-patient management with intravenous fluids, analgesics and occasionally anti-malaria and antibiotics. Pain is the principal symptom of vaso-occlusive crisis and it can affect any part of the body. Pentazocine is a well-known opioid analgesic, commonly used in the treatment of painful crisis in children affected by sickle cell anaemia. It was discovered in the 1950s and was initially thought to be addiction—proof, but this has been disproved over the years by reports of pentazocine dependence/addiction especially in patients living with chronic pain. There have been some case reports of pentazocine abuse/dependence among sickle cell disease patients in the literature, most of which are from Nigeria but none involved joint addiction by siblings. We therefore, report the case of two siblings, known sickle cell anaemia (HbSS) patients, referred to our emergency paediatric unit with history of recurrent painful crisis over a 10-month period leading to abuse of pentazocine. They were jointly managed successfully by the paediatric hematology and the pain and palliative units of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and helped to overcome their abuse and addiction.

Highlights

  • Introductory BackgroundsDose-for-dose, 40 mg of pentazocine will give similar analgesic effect as 10 mg of morphine [5]

  • Sickle cell disease refers to a spectrum of inherited red cell disorder in which an affected individual has 2 abnormal haemoglobin one of which is the S haemog

  • There have been some case reports of pentazocine abuse/dependence among sickle cell disease patients in the literature, most of which are from Nigeria but none involved joint addiction by siblings

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Summary

Introductory Backgrounds

Dose-for-dose, 40 mg of pentazocine will give similar analgesic effect as 10 mg of morphine [5] It is frequently abused by patients suffering from chronic pain and this has been attributed to factors such as its earlier onset of action (15 minutes), ready availability and the dysphoric effect it gives. It is commonly prescribed by clinicians in Nigeria for the management of painful crisis in patients with sickle cell disease and there have been several case reports of pentazocine abuse/dependence in patients who have sickle cell disease [6] [7] [8]. The present cases were reported to raise high index of suspicion among physicians and help others who may be at risk of self-medication and drug abuse

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