Anemia, Author Interviews, Hematology, JAMA, Pain Research, Pediatrics / 03.09.2025
Nemours Study: Early Opioid Administration For Sickle Cell Children in Crisis Decreased Hospitalization Rate
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_70522" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Gwarzo[/caption]
Ibrahim Gwarzo, DrPH, MPH, MBBS
Research Scientist at Nemours Children’s Health
Delaware Valley, Delaware USA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain the condition of sickle cell disease and why young people frequently present to the ER with severe pain?
Response: Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. It is passed down as an autosomal recessive disorder, meaning a person must inherit the defective gene from both parents to have the disease. The condition primarily impacts hemoglobin, the protein responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells, which leads to changes in the shape and stability of these cells. The complications associated with the disease, including recurrent and severe pain episodes, are a direct result of these changes. These pain episodes are debilitating and unpredictable, resulting in frequent emergency department visits where they are typically treated with pain medications, including opioids. It is estimated that around 100,000 people in the United States have sickle cell disease, with about 40,000 being children. The disease has a significant prevalence in the Afro-Latino population.
Dr. Gwarzo[/caption]
Ibrahim Gwarzo, DrPH, MPH, MBBS
Research Scientist at Nemours Children’s Health
Delaware Valley, Delaware USA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain the condition of sickle cell disease and why young people frequently present to the ER with severe pain?
Response: Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. It is passed down as an autosomal recessive disorder, meaning a person must inherit the defective gene from both parents to have the disease. The condition primarily impacts hemoglobin, the protein responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells, which leads to changes in the shape and stability of these cells. The complications associated with the disease, including recurrent and severe pain episodes, are a direct result of these changes. These pain episodes are debilitating and unpredictable, resulting in frequent emergency department visits where they are typically treated with pain medications, including opioids. It is estimated that around 100,000 people in the United States have sickle cell disease, with about 40,000 being children. The disease has a significant prevalence in the Afro-Latino population.
Prof. Papageorghiou[/caption]
Aris Papageorghiou MBChB, MRCOG
Professor of Fetal Medicine and the Clinical Research Director
Oxford Maternal and Perinatal Health Institute
University of Oxford
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Our study was really guided by a key question: does Covid-19 in pregnancy increase the risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes as compared with pregnant women who do not have the infection?
The question is highly relevant because of the known deleterious effects of other coronavirus infections in pregnancy, e.g. SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus).
In order to answer this question we undertook this multinational cohort study.
Dr. Tandon[/caption]
Pooja S. Tandon, MD, MPH
Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development
Seattle Children's Research Institute
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Cell phone use is common among middle and high school students, yet we do not have an understanding of school cell phone policies and practices in the U.S. We conducted a survey of public schools serving grades 6-12. The survey sent to over 1,100 school principals, representing a national sample of schools across the U.S., asked questions about the presence of a cell phone policy for students and staff and restrictions on phone use. Additional questions addressed consequences of policy violation, the use of cell phones for curricular activities and principals’ attitudes toward cell phone policies.
Dr. Emily Parker Hyle[/caption]
Emily Parker Hyle, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: We found that many children who were planning to travel internationally were eligible for MMR vaccination prior to departure but often did not receive it - especially if they were aged 6 months to 6 years. That is because most children do not routinely receive their first dose of MMR till 12-15 months of age and their second dose of MMR till 4-6 years of age. However, ACIP recommendations are different for children who are traveling internationally. The risk of being infected with measles is much higher outside of the US, so it is recommended that children older than 1 year have had 2 MMR vaccinations and that children 6-12 months receive 1 MMR vaccination prior to travel. MMR vaccination is a safe and effective way to greatly reduce the risk of measles infection. 
Dr. Munzer[/caption]
Tiffany G. Munzer, MD
Department of Pediatrics
University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: There’s been such a rise in the prevalence of tablet devices and the recommendation for families of young children has been to engage in media together because children learn the most from screens when they’re shared with an adult. However, little is known about how toddlers and adults might behave and interact using a tablet.
