Pediatric Sickle Cell Tests and Treatments

The transplantation of blood or bone marrow is the procedure of transferring and replacing the hematopietic stem cells.

A blood transfusion is when blood is infused into the body to replace missing blood.

Chronic transfusion therapy is a form of blood transfusion that is repeated on a “chronic,” or regular, basis.

A complete blood count is a common blood test that’s often taken during physicals or other medical checkups. It provides an evaluation of overall health, and also checks for certain disorders such as infection, anemia, leukemia, immune system disorders and other diseases.

A chromosomal analysis or karyotyping is a test which examines the number and structure of your child's chromosomes. This test helps in the diagnosis of genetic diseases, some birth defects and certain abnormalities of the blood.

Exchange transfusion therapy is a form of blood transfusion in which the body’s blood is removed and replaced.

Genetic counseling is a counseling session for parents or prospective parents to help them understand their risk of passing along genes and birth defects to children.

Hydroxyurea is a medicine that can help children and adults with sickle cell disease.

Hypertransfusion management is a form of blood transfusion that’s aimed at reducing the risk of complications such as stroke in patients with sickle cell disease.

Infection prophylaxis is the idea of using antibiotics and other infection-fighting medications prior to the infection occurring to help prevent it.

Iron chelation therapy is a treatment used to remove excess iron from the blood.

Certain blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia, are characterized by problems with the blood cells themselves that can be difficult to treat. Red blood cell exchange is the process of removing red blood cells from the body and replacing them with new ones.

A simple transfusion refers to a blood transfusion that is done without exchanging the body’s blood.

A transcranial Doppler study is an ultrasound that is used to view and examine the circulation of blood in and around the brain.