A widely available medical procedure for sickle cell disease patients—red blood cell exchange—remains underutilized despite its effectiveness and broad access in U.S. hospitals, according to new research. The treatment involves replacing damaged red blood cells with healthy donor cells while preserving the patient’s plasma and other blood components. Barriers in the healthcare system appear to be preventing eligible patients from accessing this potentially life-improving intervention. The findings highlight a gap between medical capability and patient care for those living with the condition.
Various factors block sufferers of disease from receiving treatment that is effective and has widespread availabilitySickle cell patients are missing out on an effective treatment despite widespread US hospital access to the technology, new research has found.That treatment is called a red blood cell exchange, a procedure that discards a patient’s damaged red blood cells while simultaneously mixing the patient’s remaining plasma, platelets and white blood cells with red blood cells from a donor before returning them to the body. Continue reading...
